Donatello
by Dawn Totadile
Summary: What happens when I mix the TMNT with Matilda? You get a genius boy who likes turtles and has to deal with all the trouble Matilda had to deal with while finding friendship in the most unlikely places. Not everything is as it seems though when going to Ninjitsu Hall, and even things that should seem normal have secrets as well.
1. Chapter 1

Everyone is born… but not everyone is born the same. Some will grow to be butchers, or bakers, or candle stick makers. Some will only be really good at making Jell-O salad. One way or another though, every human being is unique; for better, or for worse. Most parents believe their children are the most beautiful creations to ever grace the planet. Some take a less emotional approach. One such family was dumped with a kid in exchange for a few thousand bucks. Though they despised the child, they took him in due to their greed.

Henry and Zinnia Wormwood lived in a nice neighborhood, in a nice house, and drove a nice car, but they were not very nice people. They also had a son, Michael. The Wormwoods were so wrapped up in their own lives, that they barely noticed they had a second son. Had they paid any attention to him at all, they would have realized he was a rather extraordinary child. His name was Donatello.

"Donatello! Now look what you've done! You're supposed to eat your spinach, not play in it!" Zinnia whined as she picked up the baby and wiped his work off of the counter top. Had she looked before she wiped, she'd have found that her new son had just spelled his entire name. She placed the baby in the kitchen sink, turned on the faucet and left the baby while complaining. "Babies, ha! You're better off raising tomatoes!" The baby boy looked at the faucet as it filled the half of the sink that was empty and frowned. That wasn't going to clean him up any time soon.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time Donatello was two, he had learned what most people learned in their early thirties; how to take care of himself. As time went by, he had also developed a sense of style. He wore a set of purple framed glasses, as he was near sighted, a green t-shirt, some brown shorts, and a purple scarf.

Every morning, Donatello's older brother Michael went to school. His father went to work selling used cars for unfair prices, and her mother went off into town to play bingo. "Soup's on the stove. Heat it up if you get hungry." Donatello was alone, and that was how he liked it.

Donatello grabbed the pot with a soup can in it and threw the can away. He then proceeded to crack some eggs and followed a recipe book that he had found in the house. He made himself a set of pancakes, and because he felt like it, put some flowers and water into a small vase to make it seem classy while he ate. He had taught himself how to read when he was only about two years old.


	3. Chapter 3

By the time he was four years old, Donatello had read every piece of literature in the house. One night, he got up the courage to ask his father for something he desperately wanted.

"A book! What do you want a book for?" Harry asked undignified as the rest of the family was watching a show while eating dinner, which was a usual thing for the Wormwood family.

Donatello looked up at his father with pleading eyes. "To read."

"To read? Why would you want to read when you've got the television set sitting right in front of you? There's nothing you can't get from a book that you can't get from a television faster."

It was at this point that Michael had grown tired of his younger brother being in the way of the set and pulled him away by his turtle pajamas. "Get out of the way!"

Donatello already knew that he was different from his family. He saw that whatever he needed in this world, he'd have to get it himself. The next morning, Donatello looked through the phone book for the Library's address and left shortly after his parents did. He was on a mission for a book. He walked ten blocks to get to the public library and bravely walked in, determined to learn something new.

He was about to ask the librarian where he could go to find the children's books when a young girl caught his attention. She was also alone. She looked nervous. "Um… hi… are you lost?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I've just never been to the library on my own before." She grimaced. 'Father doesn't know that I gave my bodyguards the slip…'

"This is my first time here." Donatello smiled with his one front tooth missing. He had fallen and lost the tooth when he had tried to learn how to walk on his own. "Do you know where the children's books are?"

"Oh, yes, my mother used to bring me and my twin there all the time when we were little." She took the young boy's hand and guided him to the large room. "Here you are. My foster father doesn't approve of children really, so he makes me train and act like an adult. Personally, I always liked to come in here and read the books."

"Which ones are your favorite?"

"I'm afraid they're written in Japanese. My parents were Japanese."

"What happened to them?"

"They died in a fire with my brothers… I'm called Karai. At least that's what my foster father calls me."

"I'm Donatello. I'm sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. Sometimes I feel like my twin is still trying to reach out to me. We were a pretty unique set."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, heh. Mom used to say that we were always seeing things like each other saw them. One time we actually thought we had switched bodies, hehe."

"Sounds like you had a good time with your family."

"Yeah…" The young girl looked to her left wistfully. "I miss them."

Donatello put a hand on Karai's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

Karai grimaced. "My foster father says that apologizing is a sign of weakness… but thank you… now, let's pick out some good books to read, right?"

Donatello smiled. "Of course."

Every day after that, Donatello would walk all the way to the library to read books, and every few days he would meet up with Karai, who had snuck away from her foster father and his body guards. If she got caught, she was praised for evading such high class warriors and asked where she went. Though she did not mention her friend, Karai did not lie about going to the library. Her foster father approved of her sneaking off to there, but did not know she was also reading from the children's section, for that he would not approve of.

One day, shortly after the two of them had read every book in the children's section, Karai had an idea. "Hey, Donatello?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what a library card is?"

"No."

"Well if we get you a library card, then you can take books home, and you won't have to come here every day."

"But what about seeing you? You're the only person who doesn't think I'm stupid or yell at me." Donatello frowned as he closed the book on inventing that he had been reading.

"It'll be fine. My father's not going to be letting me come here as often anymore anyway."

"Why's that?"

"He says that I need to train my body as well as my mind."

"Oh… well you've got the mind part down at least, hehe."

"Yeah, but you're beating me! You're like, three years younger than me and you can already understand all these big books about science and technology!"

"Heh, well…" He then noticed the clock. "Oh my gosh! I've gotta go! My parent's will be back soon and dad will throw a fit if I don't get any packages that are there." Donatello dropped the book carefully onto the chair and ran at the speed of a ninja.

Karai was left laughing in amusement and caught herself thinking once more of her brothers. 'He's so much like them, hehe.'


	4. Chapter 4

Donatello's strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had cast their books out into the world like ships onto the seas. These books gave Donatello a hopeful and comforting message, "You are not alone." As time grew on, Donatello noticed less and less of the girl he had started to consider as a sister. Though this saddened him, he knew she had her own life to deal with.

"Any packages come today?" Harry asked as he burst into Donatello's room. Donatello was reading a large book and had many others scattered around him. Donatello shook his head without looking up. Harry kicked at one of the books. "Where'd all this come from?"

"The library." Donatello said as he looked up to his father. He then returned to his book.

"The library? You've never set foot in a library! You're only four years old!"

"Six and a half." Donatello frowned as he looked up at his father once more. He knew his parents were thick, but he hadn't imagined them to be that thick.

"You're four!"

"Six and a half." Donatello repeated.

"If you were six and a half, you'd be in school already!"

"I want to be in school. I told you I was supposed to start school in September, you wouldn't listen."

Harry frowned and grabbed the young boy by his arm. "Get up." He pulled. "Get up." He led the young boy to the master bedroom of the house where his wife was fixing her hair. "Give me that book." He grabbed the book on Joan of Arc that Donatello had been reading and tossed it towards the living room. He then dragged the youngest of the household into the room. "Dearest pie," He called out to his wife. "How old is Donatello?"

Without so much as a glance in their direction, the tall blonde replied, "Four."

"I'm six and a half, mommy."

"Five, then."

"I was six in August."

"You're a liar." Was her father's response as he headed towards the vanity. Both adults tended to care a lot about their appearance.

"I want to go to school."

"Pfft, school! It's out of the question." Harry grabbed at a bottle of hair oil that he kept on the vanity. "Who'd be here to sign for the packages?" Harry tended to get a lot of packages, most of which were illegal things that he used in his car shop. "We can't leave valuable packages sitting out there on the doorstep." Donatello was ready to cry. "Now go watch TV like a good kid."

Zinnia, unaware that the boy was still in the room, or maybe she just didn't care, started to talk about him. "You know, sometimes, I think there's something wrong with that boy."

"Heh, tell me about it." Her husband agreed as Donatello left the room.

Donatello leaned down to collect his book from the hallway floor when the final member of his family began to rub it in on him just how different he was. "Hey, toothless!" He hated that name. Michael threw a marshmallow at him. "Have a marshmallow! Have another marshmallow, toothless!" Though pulverized with marshmallows, Donatello kept walking with the book against his chest, heading towards his room. "Toothless!" could be heard as he closed the door behind him.

Donatello cried silently into blanket. He wished that Karai was there. She was the only friend that he had. In fact, after spending so much positive time with her, he had started to feel a sibling bond with her that he knew he'd never feel with Michael.


	5. Chapter 5

Donatello may have been wishing for heroes, but he would soon find himself to be his own superhero. He was about to find that he had a strength that he wasn't even aware of.

"I'm great! I'm incredible!" Harry Wormwood shouted as he entered his house. "Michael, pencil and paper, in the kitchen." He called to his oldest son.

"Did we sell some cars today, Honey-Dew?" Zinnia asked as she came to her husband with a can of bear and some chips for him.

"Did we!"

"Does that mean I can get that new TV?"

"Yeah." He tapped Michael on the shoulder as he walked towards the kitchen. "Son, one day you're gonna have to earn your own living. It's time you learned the family business. Sit down."

Michael pulled up a chair at the rarely used table where Donatello was reading one of his books. Zinnia grabbed a deck of playing cards and started putting them on the table to play solitaire while listening to her husband talk business.

"Write this down;" Harry pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Alright, the first car that your brilliant father sold cost three hundred and twenty dollars. I sold it for One thousand, One hundred, and fifty-eight dollars. The second one cost five hundred and twelve dollars. I sold it for two thousand, two hundred, and sixty-nine dollars." Harry was getting excited.

"Wait dad, you're going to fast!" Michael interrupted as he attempted to write everything out.

"Just write." Michael went back to writing. Without waiting for his son to catch up, Harry continued with his rant. "The third cost sixty-eight dollars. I sold it for nine hundred and ninety-nine dollars. And the fourth cost one thousand, one hundred dollars. I sold it for seven thousand, eight hundred and thirty-nine big American baffos."

"Oh, Harry!" Zinnia reached out to her husband and kissed him.

He smiled and then turned to his eldest, "What was my profit for today?"

"Can you repeat the last one?"

Donatello interrupted with the answer of "Ten thousand, two hundred, and sixty-five dollars."

The family looked at the young boy in the purple glasses as he looked up from his latest book on Japan. Though he didn't see his "Big Sister" very often, he knew that she always favored the country because of her parent's origin. He had decided to research the ancient ways of the ninja from them.

Donatello noticed the disbelief in his family's eyes. "Check it if you don't believe me."

The three other Wormwoods checked the paper that Harry had in his hand, wondering if the boy was right. In shock, they found the youngest was in fact correct. Instead of praising the boy for his genius, Harry was furious at the youngest. "You're a little cheat, you saw the paper!"

"From all the way over here?" Donatello was confused. His brother was right next to the paper and couldn't see the answer, so how could he from across the table?

Harry glared at the child, as though Donatello had just defied him. "Are you being smart with me?" Harry walked over while the other two members of the family glared at the boy from their seats. "If you're being smart with me, young man, you're going to be punished."

"Punished for being smart?"

"For being a smart aleck." Harry stared down at the boy and pointed his finger at him. "When a person is bad, that person needs to be taught a lesson."

"Person?" Ideas were clicking in Donatello's mind as he processed this new information.

"Get up." He grabbed Donatello by his arm and dragged the boy to his room while leaving the library book on the table.

Harry Wormwood had unintentionally given his son the first practical advice he could use. Donatello thought about this advice all night as he came up with a plan. Harry had meant to say "When a **_child_** is bad…", instead he said, "When a **_person_** is bad…" and thereby introduced a revolutionary idea that children could punish their parents, only when they deserved it of course.


	6. Chapter 6

Donatello found himself up early and silently thanked Karai for helping him practice Ninja like silence. He made his way through the house towards his parents' room, managing to make no sound as he went. He looked at the clock and estimated the time it would take him to complete his mission. He had only a few minutes before his father would be awakened by its bell. He made his way over to the vanity where his parents kept their things.

Donatello grabbed his father's hair oil and his mother's peroxide. He then proceeded to pour a little of his father's hair oil down the sink drain. After he had poured a good amount down the drain, while still leaving just enough in the bottle for his uses, he started to pour the peroxide into the bottle. He then shook the bottle of hair oil so that the coloring would match and put both bottles away just as the alarm went off!

Donatello's eyes widened as he dropped to the ground and started crawling to a place to hide. He crawled into the closet as his father made his way to the bathroom, completely oblivious to the genius in his room. Donatello crawled away, this time aiming for the door when he was suddenly stopped by his mother awakening. He froze, fearing his parent's had caught him, when he noticed she was still wearing her sleeping mask; a green mask with creepy large brown eyes that were wide open. Donatello sighed in relief and made his escape, his parents were none the wiser of his plans.

Harry splashed his oil into his hair with little care, unknowing of his adopted son's deception. "Michael, come into my room!"

"What?" Michael asked in an undignified tone. He didn't like getting called in early, especially if it was to be in trouble.

"My boy," Harry grinned. "Today's the day I take you to the shop, what do you say?"

"I don't know, what do you say, Dad?" Michael was glad for an excuse to get out of school, he wasn't all that good at it anyway.

Harry turned around with a somewhat serious face. "I say, appearance is nine tenths of the law. People don't buy a car; they buy me, which is why I personally take such pride in my appearance; well-oiled hair, a clean shave, snappy suit." He said as he showed a plaid jacket that was traditional of the seedy salesmen. Harry then smiled. "Now run along and get ready for a big day of learning." He turned back towards the mirror to finish oiling his hair. "It's gonna be a big day of learning too. There's a sucker born every minute, and we're gonna take 'em for all they got." He had no idea of how well that phrase applied to him as well, especially as he continued to "Oil" his hair with the peroxide mixture his adopted son had made.

Donatello was ready for another day as he picked out the waffles from the toaster and put them on his plate. Michael, ever the unhealthy and rude, yelled at his mother. "Give me the cookies!"

She was used to it though, as she probably would have eaten them too at his age. "Here ya go." She said as she tossed the package of chocolate chip to her son.

Donatello was eager to see how long it would take before the effects of his work went into play. He sat down at the breakfast nook and put syrup on his waffles as he waited for his father to come along. He didn't have to wait long as the joyful tune of the ignorant man came to his young ears. He had to use all of his control to keep from breaking into a smile too early, after all, his parents thought he was an idiot for some reason.

"Hey my boy! Heir to the throne," Harry came into the dining room that was connected to both the kitchen and the living room. "Today we diddle the customer."

Michael dropped his cookie from his hand and had his mouth wide open with shock. Donatello on the other hand pursed his lips to not only keep himself from laughing, but to also keep his waffle bits in his mouth.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked with some concern. He had yet to see that his usually black hair had now turned blonde in the center, as though it was greying from the center out. "What are you looking at?" He then turned towards his wife who had yet to see what had happened. "Love kins, where's my breakfast?"

Donatello smirked as he turned his attention towards his mother for her reaction. "Here we are my heart strings… Wha? AAH!" She gasped as she looked at her husband, dropping a bowl's worth of skittles and a bowl's worth of cheerios to the floor while still holding said bowls. "Snickerdoodles, what did you do to your hair?"

"My hair?" To Harry, his hair was one of his best features, which sadly enough it was since he lacked a great personality. Donatello risked a small smile as his father went to look in a nearby mirror. Zinnia and Michael followed to see his reaction. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Needless to say he found it so shocking that he fainted as Donatello took a sip of his orange Kool-Aid.

He grinned. 'I don't lie.'


	7. Chapter 7

After recovering from his fainting episode, Harry grabbed a hat and made his sons help him get some packages from the garage and put them into the car. Donatello climbed in after handing his father what appeared to be a wheel wrapped in brown paper. Michael had a pipe. "Get in." their father shouted to them as he put the parts into the trunk. Unbeknownst to them, or at least to the elder two, they were being watched.

Dirty dealings, like buying stolen car parts never stay secret for long, especially when the FBI gets involved. From across the street in their black car, two FBI agents were snapping pictures of Harry and his car parts.

"9:17, Suspect exits Domicile." The smarter of the two says while using his recording device.

"I've got 9:18." The second corrects.

The first looks at his watch and turns the recorder back on. "9:17 is correct."

It didn't take long to get to Harry's place of work and fortune, Wormwood Motors. It was a small place with lots of cars, most of them at really cheap prices, true, but not as cheap as Harry had gotten them.

"Michael," Harry said proudly as he brought the boys into the garage. Donatello knew what was coming and was in no way offended. "One day all this will be yours."

Donatello grimaced. 'Knew it.'

"This?" Michael asked as he looked at a junk filled garage with lemons all over the place (The car not the fruit :P).

Harry grinned. He pointed to the nearest car that they were going to work on today. "See this Junker? I paid a hundred dollars for her. She's got a hundred and twenty thousand miles on her, transmission's shot, bumpers have fallen off. What do I do with her?" He used his finger to right a few more zeroes next to the hundred in the dusty windshield. "I sell her!"

Harry grabbed a can of "Super Super Glue" and started to paint it into the connecting part of a bumper with his sons on either side of him.

"We really should weld these bumpers on, but that takes time, equipment, and money. So, we use 'Super Super Glue' instead." He then had the two boys attach it to the old car that looked like it would fall apart from touching it. Donatello wanted to fix it properly, and probably could thanks to some of the books he had read recently. "Go ahead, put it on there."

Much to Donatello's surprise, his older brother asked a reasonable question. "Won't it fall off?"

"Definitely." Harry kicked the bumper into place.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Donatello asked innocently. 'Of course it's dangerous! It'll fall apart before the first wreck if not be the cause of it!'

"Not to me, okay." Harry defended. He then grinned as he clapped his hands together. "Now for the transmission." He grabbed a can of sawdust and started to put it into the engine, much to Donatello's horror. "The sawdust quiets the gears and lets the engine run sweet as a nut… for a couple of miles." He laughs.

"Daddy that's cheating!" Donatello scolds, trying to get his father to see reason.

"Of course it's cheating! Nobody ever got rich being honest!" After that was done, he went to the back and grabbed a special drill and got under the car. "Now for the mileage counter."

"What are you gonna do about that, dad?" Michael asked curiously. He was intrigued by his father's 'Ingenuity' on how to run a business while Donatello was just disgusted by it.

"Twenty years ago, we could turn the numbers back by hand." He then grabbed his hat and handed it to Michael. "Here, take my hat." Michael put the hat on a nearby bench next to the super glue. "But the Feds like to test the ingenuity of the American business man." He crawled under the car with some tools. Once he was happy with the wiring he had just done, he crawled out and opened the driver door. He showed his boy the drill he had in his hands. "Two directional drill. Run it backwards, the numbers go down." He smiled as he started it. He noticed the glimmer of excitement in Michael's eyes and was pleased. "Watch the speedometer." The numbers went back at a rapid pace.

"Cool." Michael smiled.

"See?"

"Yeah."

"Daddy you're a crook!" Donatello frowned, displeased with his father's actions.

Harry was shocked. He stopped the drill and looked at his adopted son. "What?"

"This is illegal!" Donatello stomped his foot to the ground. His red-brown eyes filled with anger and sadness.

Harry frowned and passed Michael the drill. "Here, keep drilling." He then stood up at full height over his adopted son and glared at him. "Do you make money? Do you have a job?"

"No, but don't people need good cars? Can't you sell good cars dad?" Donatello pleaded with his father. 'Would it kill him to be honest with one thing in his life?'

"Listen you little wiseacre, I'm smart, you're dumb. I'm big, you're little." He used his hand to point these ideas out to the young boy. "I'm right, you're wrong, and there's nothing you can do about it!" He then returned to his work, leaving Donatello to ponder this.

'Karai always said I was smart… maybe my parents are the really dumb ones instead… besides, this really is illegal.' Donatello thought as he looked at his father's hat and the glue next to it. 'Time for another punishment, father…'

The beep of a horn caused the two boys to stop their work and look up. Zinnia was driving up in her car happily shouting for her husband. "Harry! I won! I won! I hit the double Bingo!" She screeched.

While the rest of the family was distracted, Donatello decided to play a small trick on his father as punishment for being a criminal. He dabbed a little of the glue onto inner rim of the man's hat and grabbed it by the edge so that it wouldn't touch him.

"Come on everybody, I'm taking you all to Café La Ritz!" Zinnia smiled proudly. Donatello grinned. He had never been taken out before.

"Let me see the money!" Harry said as he made his way towards the car with Michael following right behind him.

"Never mind." Zinnia smiled, keeping it for herself. 'When he sees how much money I got he'll want to keep it for himself or store it in some bank where I can't touch it like all the rest of it.'

"Double Bingo, eh?" Harry smiled. "Oooh."

"God, your hair looks awful. I hope they let you in."

"They'll let me in." Harry frowns.

Donatello runs up to him with a smile on his face, as though happy for his mother's success. "Here's your hat, daddy."

"Get in the car." Harry takes the hat as Donatello rushes to get into the back with his brother. He then looks to his wife after his hat is on his head. "How much?"

"It's for me to know and you to find out."

"Pfft." The family drives off without noticing the glue brush is sitting on top of the can, dripping glue onto an a rag instead of sitting in the can.


	8. Chapter 8

When they got to the café, Donatello was surprised by how fancy it was and is glad that he had worn his best button up blouse with a purple jacket and brown shorts that day. The car was parked at the edge of the parking lot, and everyone was quick to get out.

"It's nice to go out sometimes." Zinnia said with a smile.

"Yeah." Harry agreed.

"You never take us out."

"Course I do. I took you to the Flipper."

"I don't remember any of the Flipper."

"The fish joint, you found that comb in the Buller baize."

"OH yeah, I liked that joint."

As they entered, they were greeted by a waiter. Donatello looked around his surroundings, being the only one in his family who was dressed for the occasion. His reddish brown eyes widened as his eyes fell upon a girl with dark black on the upper half of her hair and bright yellow on the bottom, much like a bee's colors. 'Karai!'

Karai also noticed Donatello and smirked. Donatello just grimaced. The Wormwood family was led to a table somewhat near Karai's own table, as she sat by herself while her ninja bodyguards were sitting at the surrounding tables. Karai watched the family with interest, especially since Donatello was already smiling about something. 'He did something… I just know it… or at least he knows something they don't… let's see what you did, "Little brother".' Karai had also deemed Donatello as a sibling figure in her life, but one that she could rarely see thanks to her foster father trying to train her to be a master ninja at such a young age. She was skilled, but despite her foster father's thoughts, she was still a child.

"Harry, take your hat off." Zinnia said as they walked towards their table.

"I can't." Harry was confused as he tried to pull his hat off.

"This is a nice place, you can't wear a hat inside." Zinnia gave fake smiles to everyone, trying to act as though she belonged among them.

"I can't take it off." Donatello smirked as he sat down at the table. His brother Michael was too busy watching his parents to notice a silent exchange between Donatello and Karai.

"What did you do?" Karai mouthed with a giggle.

Donatello smiled his toothy smile with the hole in the front. "Glue" was all he mouthed as more attention was being brought to his family. He himself turned towards his parents to act as though he was also puzzled.

Karai just smiled. 'Glad I'm on his good side, hehe.'

"Harry, nobody cares what your hair looks like." Zinnia had started to pull on the hat.

"I can't get it off." Harry repeated.

"What's with this hat?"

"I can't get it off." He repeated this several times as Zinnia kept pulling on it.

"Just a minute, I'll get it." She started pulling harder. "I'm going to get this hat off." Harry started grunting. "I'm pulling it!"

"Ack! Owowowowowowowowowowow!" Some children in the area were laughing, save for Michael, Donatello, and Karai. Donatello had a small smile on his face, but not one that was noticeable by his parents, and Karai was hiding her smile behind her hand as she was near laughing. Michael was just looking at his parents dumbly.

"I think your head swollen up really big!" She pulled with all her strength, making her husband start to yell in pain. Many of the patrons were watching in confusion, some wondering how they had even been allowed into such a restaurant.

"EH, you're pulling the skin!"

"Ooh! You're such a baby, stop that."

"Fibers are fused to the head!" Karai started chuckling softly at that point, nearly losing control. 'He must have been really mean to Donatello for him to pull this prank.'

"Fibers are fused? What is that supposed to mean?" Michael was looking at his parents with a painful look, glad that he wasn't part of it as his mother kept yanking on his father's head. "Give me that hat!" Donatello started to bite his lower lip with his front teeth, interested in what was going to happen.

Finally the hat gave way, or at least the rim of it anyway. Zinnia had managed to rip off the rim around Harry's hat and ended up back-flipping off a table behind her while her husband landed on some guests. As he tried to get up, he bumped into a waiter with some menus. The menus went flying into the air where another waiter grabbed them with some ninja like skill, no doubt a hidden member of one of the local ninja clans, like the Foot. Harry meanwhile had then proceeded to land on the end of the desert cart.

Donatello's mind was racing to keep up with the events going on around him as multiple deserts flew into the air, among them were some fruit tarts and cream pies of some sort. One of the menus that the waiter had not been able to catch had landed on two forks. The forks flew up into the air along with the desserts. Donatello smiled as it flew and thought about how cool it would be if a dessert landed right in front of him and Karai without getting them messy. He was happily surprised when a fruit tart with whip cream on top had landed in front of him with a fork in it. He looked over to Karai and let out a small chuckle when he saw the same had happened to her. She was now covering her laughter with her hand, trying to stifle her amusement. Donatello then looked at his brother with equal amusement, but kept quiet as a cream pie splattered in front of him, covering him and some of the patrons behind him in whipped cream.

Donatello took a bite from his desert in front of him. "Mmmm." Michael looked up in disbelief as his little brother just used his fork to gain another bite of his fruit tart, the patrons behind him uncovered from cream. Karai just smiled and tried some in front of her. She had to agree with Donatello, the fruit tarts were good.


	9. Chapter 9

Back at the Wormwood residence, Zinnia started to cut the remainder of the hat off of Harry's head with a set of army scissors. Harry was furious. "I will not be the figure of ridicule. I want respect and I want it now." Donatello was reading in his usual chair while Michael had already started to eat his TV dinner. Zinnia never learned how to cook, so snack foods and TV dinners were a main meal for the Wormwood family, not that the older three minded, as they liked to watch television while eating.

Harry grunted as Zinnia continued cutting around the base of the hat, trying to get it off. "I still don't see how you glued your hat on Harry. I mean, I know you say you didn't, but obviously you did."

"I did not glue my hat to my head. The hat shrunk, the fibers fused to my hair." Donatello rolled his eyes and continued to read his book.

"Baby, wait a minute. I'm getting it now. One more." Zinnia was right, as the hat now came off, but along with it came a portion of Harry's hair. "Oh my, God." She laughed.

Harry was livid as he looked into the handheld mirror. He put the mirror back down and declared, "From now on, this family does exactly what I say, when exactly, when I say it!"

"Here's your hat, Harry." Zinnia smiled as she handed the remnants of the hat back to her husband.

Harry grabbed it and threw it to the ground before moving his table towards him so he could eat his TV dinner. "And right now, we are eating dinner and watching TV." He furiously turned the television onto his favorite show, _The Million Dollar Sticky_. Donatello was still reading though. Harry turned to Michael. "Turn your light off." Michael did as he was told.

As the announcer explained how the game show worked, Harry then turned to Donatello, who not only had his light on, but was also still reading. Harry hated that. He slammed the silverware down and got up from his chair. He stomped over to the boy with the glasses and frowned at him. Donatello looked up at his father with little concern. "Hi, dad." His father never paid him any attention when something good was going on, only when trouble was afoot.

"Are you in this family?" Donatello sighed. He knew this was going to be trouble. "Hello? Are you in this family?" Harry turned off Donatello's light. "Dinner time is family time." Donatello resisted the urge to roll his eyes. His father rarely treated him like a member of the family, and the fact that they had no documents he could find of himself even existing only served to prove that matter. He would have run away, but he had nowhere to run, and they knew it. "What is this trash you're reading?"

"It's not trash, daddy, it's lovely. It's called _Moby Dick_ by Herman Melville."

"Moby what?" Harry lost it. He grabbed the book and started to tear out pages of it, much to Donatello's horror. "This is filth! Trash!"

"It's not mine! It's a library book!" Donatello cried out as one of his favorite stories was shredded in front of his eyes. 'I hope my allowance will cover that… oh, how am I going to explain it to the librarian?'

"I'm fed up with all this reading!" Harry yelled. "You're a Wormwood, you start acting like one!" Donatello would have argued that he had found no evidence of even a birth certificate saying he was a Wormwood, but he knew that his parents didn't have any idea that he had read everything in the house years ago. Harry grabbed Donatello by the head. "Sit up and look at the TV." He held the boy's head in place and forced him to watch as a contestant was covered in a sticky goop to try and collect money.

Donatello was furious. What right did his father, if he could really even call him that, have to tear up books from the library? What right did he have to force his second child to stay home everyday instead of letting him go to school to learn? What right did he have to call a literary treasure like _Moby Dick_ trash when he himself had probably never read a book in his life? The other members of the family were laughing as the man on TV kept trying to stick money onto himself. Donatello glared at the TV and wished it would explode. A moment later, Donatello had found that his wish had been granted. The television had exploded, scaring all in the family but him. His mother screamed as the explosions happened.

"I didn't do it." Were the first words out of his mouth, and yet, in his mind, he felt that he had. 'If they don't throw it away, I'll fix it later…' Donatello had learned a lot from the books that his father so hated.

"Of course you didn't do it, you little twit." Harry grumbled. He had been holding the boy's head in place and the child had been n where near the TV.

"I told you that was a cheap set." Zinnia slowly made her way towards the smoking set with her son right behind her.

"It's not a cheap set, it's a stolen set." The box fizzled a little more, threatening to do more damage.

"Bummer." Michael was also upset, but not Donatello.

Donatello was confused. Was it magic? Or just a coincidence? It is said that humans use only a tiny portion of their brains. Donatello might never have discovered his own great strength were it not for the events that happened the next day…


	10. Chapter 10

"…I need a car, inexpensive, but reliable, can you service me?" A man named Oroku Saki asked as he entered Wormwood Motors. It had been years since he had last met Harry, and that had been then day when he had given him the cash to keep a troublesome two day old baby out of his hair. Harry did not forget the day, but he had forgotten the man due to a representative being the one to give him the boy.

"In a matter of speaking, yes." Harry gave his fake smile that he used on all the customers. "Welcome to Wormwood Motors," He held out his hand. "Harry Wormwood, owner, founder, whatever…"

"Oroku Saki, Principal and Leader of the Foot Clan. Headmaster of Ninjitsu Hall; for Ninjas in training." His grip had nearly broken Harry's hand. "I warn you sir, I want a tight car because I run a tight ship."

"Oh yeah, huh? Well I…"

"My school is a model of discipline. Squish the children, form the warriors, and use the rod, beat the child; those are my mottos."

"Terrific mottos."

"You have brats, yourself?" As if he didn't know.

"Yeah, I got a boy, Michael, and one mistake, Donatello."

"They're all mistakes, children; save for my daughter Karai. She's an adult in a child's body, a full warrior that one. Usually they're filthy, nasty things, glad I never was one."

"Uh-huh. Well, since you're an educator, I'll make you a great deal."

"You had better, for your sake." The tall giant of a man's eyes bore into Harry's skull as though trying to fry whatever he called a brain.

Harry held up a set of keys to a car he had just finished "Fixing" and smiled. "Let's do business." That night, Harry went into Donatello's room. Donatello was working on fixing the television that had been broken the night before. "What are you doing?"

"Fixing the TV."

"Since when could you do that?"

"Since I was four." The young tinkerer said as he hit the box one last time. It was plugged into his room's wall so he could test that it worked. He grimaced as he saw that it did in fact work. "There you go, dad. One fixed television set."

"Um… thanks?" Donatello smiled as he turned off the TV set and unplugged it. "Oh, right!" Harry snapped his fingers as he remembered why he had come in there in the first place, "You're going to school tomorrow."

Donatello froze. "I am?"

"Yep. First thing tomorrow."

Donatello jumped up and hugged his father, "Thank you, thank you!"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll get a real education at this place. Some sort of Ninja school or something." Harry rolled his eyes. Donatello then helped his father to move the television back to the living room to surprise his mother and older brother. It was the first time they were actually happy with the young boy being in their house.


	11. Chapter 11

Donatello had always wanted to go to school because he loved to learn. He tried to imagine what his new school would be like. He pictured a lovely building, surrounded by trees, flowers, and swings. When he arrived though, there was none of this, but at least there were children. In his mind, going to school was better than no school, especially if it really was a ninja school.

Shortly after Donatello made his way into the courtyard where all the kids were playing, the doors to Ninjitsu Hall opened and the children started screaming and running away from it. Donatello frowned in confusion and looked to see a tall man with metal all over his body, and razor sharp features. His name was Oroku Saki, but to the children and a few members of the staff, he was simply known as "The Shredder."

He started sharpening his claws on both gloves by grating them against each other. A few of the girls started plugging their ears, one such crumpled to the ground, complaining about the high pitched sound and about too much metal being put into her own mouth at some point.

The children all lined up, but tried to stay away from him all the same. "You, detention." Oroku Saki said suddenly with no warning towards one student. To another student he made the comment of, "You're too small, grow up quicker!"

Donatello knew that he did not want to be in the man's way, so he ran to find a hiding place. He found what looked like a sanctuary behind an old rusty ventilation shaft on the outside of the building, a hole in the wall if you would. He gasped as he peeked out, hoping to not get caught.

"Hey!"

Donatello jumped back against the shadows. "Sorry!"

"That's okay, it's much better than being out there." Another young boy had seemed to take to the shadows. It was too dark to get a clear look at him, but Donatello could tell he was about a year younger than himself.

"Is that my teacher?"

"No, that's the Headmaster, Master Oroku, or as we call him, The Shredder… just not to his face…"

"You've got to be kidding."

"Uh-uh."

"You two get out here!" Two sets of hands reached in and grabbed the two children by the shoulders, dragging them out. In the daylight, the two boys that had grabbed them seemed too similar to be anything but brothers, and looking at the younger boy who he had been talking with, it seemed that he was related to them as well. "Mikey, I told you not to go in there! Master Oroku likes to use his claws and scrape in there to see who's hiding!" The boy speaking was slightly smaller than the other and wore a red ninja uniform. He had dark green eyes and fiery red hair, even though he looked Japanese.

Then the other boy spoke. "Michelangelo, you need to be more careful." This boy was wearing a blue set, much like the other children, and had a deep brown eye color. His black hair was short and tied back into a pony tail like most students' hair. He then looked to the new student. "I take it you are new here?"

"That obvious?" Donatello rubbed the back of his head with one hand while the other adjusted his glasses.

"Considering every other kid here knows better than to hide there, save for Mikey, yes." The red head muttered.

Michelangelo was a copper headed boy, leaning more towards blonde, with bright sky blue eyes and freckles on his face. He wore an orange uniform. "That, and you don't have your uniform yet."

Donatello grimaced. "Right… I'm Donatello."

"I'm Mikey!"

"I'm Leonardo."

"And I'm Raphael, now quiet before he starts pitching us all over the fence." Raphael gritted his teeth as he looked at the principal. It was obvious to anyone that he didn't like him.

Leonardo started to clutch his head subconsciously. Donatello noticed. "You okay?"

"It's nothing… just a slight headache."

"I have a friend who has the same thing happen." Donatello smirked as he remembered asking Karai about her headaches. "She says that it helps to change what she was thinking of to something else."

Leonardo grimaced. "That might do it."

Donatello then looked back to the Shredder's claws. "He doesn't really use those things on the students, does he?"

Leonardo grimaced. "No."

"What he does is much worse." Raphael admitted.

"Raph!" Leonardo hissed.

"He's gonna learn eventually." Raphael pointed out. Leonardo sighed and nodded, allowing his younger brother to proceed. "Take yesterday for example. The Shredder takes a weekly visit to every classroom to show the teachers a thing or two about handling us kids. A kid in my class named Casey Jones, great guy really, but he made a mistake. He got hungry and decided to eat two pieces of candy in class."

"And the Shredder caught him?" Donatello guessed.

"You got it. Poor Casey was lifted up, out of his chair, and thrown out a window, and we were on the second floor too, so you can imagine that it wasn't a pretty sight."

"Is he okay?"

Raphael chuckled. "After being thrown out of the second story window? Course not! He lived if that's what you mean. Casey's one of the toughest guys here too, so that helped."

Michelangelo then piped up, "The Shredder used to perform in the Olympics for Japan; Shot-put, Javelin, and Hammer Throw were his specialties."

Donatello grimaced. "Funny. I'd have thought a ninja would have gone in for running or something…"

Raphael chuckled. "Cute, kid, but no. Oroku Saki went in for strength, and he's got a lot of it." He looked out at the man in metal as he came closer. "The hammer throw is his real specialty."

"So he does this all the time?" Donatello asked with a confused expression on his face.

Leonardo finally spoke up. "It's better than being put into the Chokey."

"The Chokey?"

Raph grimaced. "Yeah, the Chokey. It's a tall narrow hole in the wall behind a door. You have to stand in a dripping pipe with jagged edges, and the walls have broken glass and nails sticking out of them."

Donatello's eyes widened in shock and fear. "He puts kids in there?"

"Raph's been in there twice." Michelangelo frowned as his voice got quiet.

"Hey, I survived. Sometimes though, he'll leave you in there all day."

"Didn't you tell your parents?"

Raphael grimaced. "No… our father knows anyway… he works here as a sensei, or teacher. Besides, would your parents believe you?"

Donatello frowned. "No." He then noticed the Shredder getting closer to them. "Here he comes."

Shredder pushed aside two students in front of them. "Ah, fresh meat." Donatello swallowed hard but found himself pushed aside as well.

He was not the Shredder's target it seemed. Donatello looked back to find a young red haired girl with bright ocean blue eyes and soft pink skin. He felt his heart rush. 'She's beautiful…'

Shredder on the other hand had a different opinion, or should we say, claw? "April O'Neil."

April looked up with her hair in two French braids. "Yes, Master Oroku?"

"What are those?"

"What's what, Master Oroku?"

"Hanging down by your ears?"

"You mean my French braids?" April started twirling one of them nervously.

"Are you French, April?"

"No, Master Oroku."

"Is Ninjitsu the art of the French?"

"My father thinks it's cute…"

"Your father," Oroku Saki leaned down to stare the girl straight in the eyes behind his metal mask. "is an idiot." He pointed at them with his claws. "You'll chop those off and have your hair in a ponytail like all the others before school tomorrow, or I will come around…"

"But…"

"But!"

"I don't…"

"But? Did you say 'But'?"

Raphael groaned. "Hammer Throw."

"April…" Michelangelo whimpered.

"What?" Donatello asked in a worried confusion.

"Definitely." reaffirmed Leonardo.

"I'll give you but!" The Shredder grabbed April by her braids and started swinging her around and around. April started screaming as she went faster and was eventually released.

All the kids gathered to see where she'd land. "Good loft!" Raphael noted as he ran up to where the Shredder was.

"And excellent release." Leonardo added as he joined his brother and the other students.

April was still screaming as she headed towards the courtyard fence with it's sharp barbed wire at the top. Donatello prayed that she'd make the fence and not get hurt, as did many of the other students.

Raphael looked to Leonardo. "Think she'll make the fence?"

Leonardo didn't even look at his brother, his eyes firmly on April, wondering the same thing. "Gonna be a close one…"

Much to everyone's relief and surprise, April had made it. She wasn't landing exactly, as she had made it into the moist flowerbed by the school and was sliding in the dirt still. All the children watched as she continued sliding through the mud with her arms outstretched and gathering flowers in her right hand. She had stopped screaming and had started grinning. She stood up and shook the dirt off of her gi and smiled. She then turned around and waived the bouquet she had collected into the air. The children all cheered.

The Shredder was not pleased. "Quiet!" He shouted. "Get to class before I throw you all in the Chokey!"

Donatello then realized something. He had yet to meet his teacher! "Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael… what's my sensei like?"

"You a first year?" Raphael asked as he picked up his bag.

Donatello nodded. "Then you're with me! Come on, the sensei is real nice!" Michelangelo smiled as he started to pull on Donatello's arm.

Leonardo smiled as they left. "I think that kid's gonna be a good influence on him."

"That or Mikey's gonna be a bad one on him."

"As bad as you, Raph?"

Raphael pretended to think about it and then chuckled. "Naw."


	12. Chapter 12

The children all swarmed into the room. Donatello was surprised to find that April was also in his class. The sensei, or teacher, was a kind man with dark black hair and bright yellow eyes. Donatello's teacher, Sensei Hamato, or Master Splinter as many called him, was one of those remarkable people who appreciates every single child for who he or she was.

"I scooped these up for you, Master Splinter." April said after Master Splinter had helped her to put her hair up in a ponytail.

"Ah, thank you, April." He got a small vase from one of the shelves. "These shall look lovely over here." After he had set the flowers in the vase, he noticed his new student with Michelangelo. "Alright everyone, we have a new student with us today." He motioned for the boy to come up to the front of the class. "This is Donatello Wormwood." He then pointed to an open seat next to Michelangelo. "I'd like you to sit over here with Michelangelo." He then addressed the class as the boys went to their seats. April was also sitting at the same table as them. Donatello blushed as he waived a small shy hello. April smiled and waved back. "Now, you all remember how scary it was your first day, so I'd like you to be especially nice to Donatello, and make him feel welcome. Michelangelo, please get Donatello a manual and workbook."

"Hai, Sensei!" The eager young lad practically ran to the shelf where the spare books were.

Hamato Yoshi was not only a wonderful teacher, but a great father too, in fact, he was the single father of Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo. Their lives were not as simple and kind as it seemed though. Donatello felt a small bit of this as he caught a saddened look on his sensei's face, and a surprisingly serious one on Michelangelo as he looked at the teacher organizing the flowers. The Hamato family had a deep dark secret, and though it caused them great pain, they did not let it interfere with their school lives.

Master Splinter looked at his new pupil and smiled. "Well, Donatello, you've arrived at a most advantageous time. Today we shall be reviewing all we have learned so far. It is alright if you do not understand any of it, as this is only your first day, but do not be afraid to raise your hand if you do understand." He then looked to his whole class. "We've been working on our two times tables, would anyone like to demonstrate for young Donatello?" He was happy when the entire class raised their hands. He smiled. "Alright then. Two times four is?"

"Eight." The entire class smiled.

Sensei Hamato nodded. "Two times six is?"

"Twelve!"

"Two times nine is?"

"Eighteen!" The entire class shouted.

"Very good, class, you have been practicing. Pretty soon you shall be able to do any multiplication, be it two times seven…" He paused to see if the class would respond.

"Fourteen!"

Splinter nodded, "Very good, or 13 times 379." The children all laughed, save for one.

Donatello was already prattling out the answer. "4927…" He quieted down once he realized that the rest of his class didn't have that answer. He blushed as he felt the other students staring at him.

"I beg your pardon?" Even Master Splinter was confused.

Donatello quickly did the math once more in his head. "I think that's the answer… 13 times 379… 4927…"

The students didn't question him, but they looked to their sensei for an answer. Master Hamato grabbed a nearby journal and pencil and started writing the equation down to solve it. This took a few minutes, but he came up with the same conclusion. He looked up to the boy with shock, "It is…"

"Wow… mind blown!" Michelangelo said as he clutched his head. He was amazed that his new friend could do that kind of math so fast.

"Donatello, you know how to multiply big numbers?" Splinter asked. He was amazed that such a child had ended up in his class. Not even many adults could multiply that in their heads.

"I read this book on Mathematics last year at the library with my friend, Karai. She helped me to understand the basic principles of it…"

"You like to read?" The boy kept intriguing Hamato Yoshi more and more.

"Yes, I love to read."

"What do you like to read?"

"Everything. Mainly books on engineering, but lately I've been reading Darles Chickens… Charles Dickens…" Donatello smiled. "I could read him everyday."

Splinter smiled. "So could I." Then he looked at the class as an idea came into his head. "Alright class, get out your workbooks and manuals. When I get back we'll work on your Katas and sparring."

"Hai, Sensei." The class proclaimed as they got out their workbooks.

Splinter's smile grew wider as he noticed Donatello finishing the work on the pages at an amazing speed. He left the room with full intention of fixing what he thought to be a small oversight.


	13. Chapter 13

Hamato Yoshi made his way through the school, wondering what he would say to the headmaster, the head of the Foot Clan, about the small boy. He came to the principal's door and knocked on it.

The Shredder had obviously been doing something, as he sounded somewhat irritated when he responded. "Come in, come in, whoever you are." Yoshi gasped as a shuriken barely missed his head as he entered the office. He was startled. Oroku Saki on the other hand just smiled at the sensei. "Almost got you that time." He acted like it was a joke. "Good to see you, Yoshi. Time for a little heart to heart?" Yoshi felt the blood drain from him as the door closed to reveal a bunch of children's pictures on the back of the door on a dart board, including his own three sons in the center. Saki then pretended to throw another shuriken at Yoshi, which might have actually hit his heart. He laughed at Yoshi's fear while the sensei chuckled with fear.

Yoshi took a deep breath to calm himself. "Actually, it's about the new boy in my class, Wormwood Donatello."

Saki sneered as he thought about who the boy really was. 'He's no Wormwood, but he's just as bad if not worse.' He frowned as he started shuffling some papers on his desk. "His father says he's a real wart."

"A what?" Yoshi was confused. The boy in his room was so nice. He must have misheard.

"A carbuncle, a blister, a festering pustule of malignant ooze." Saki started pouring water from his jug into a glass.

Yoshi frowned. "No, no, Donatello Wormwood is a very sweet boy, very kind and very bright." He smiled as he said the last bit, remembering how the boy did the complex equation in his head.

"A bright child?" Saki didn't believe it, and if he didn't know the boy's real family, he would have believed it to be the teacher getting sappy.

"Yes, he can multiply large sums in his head." Yoshi included signing with this as his first language was originally Japanese.

Saki was unimpressed. "So can a calculator."

Yoshi desperately wanted to get the point through to the stubborn man wearing armor. "Well… I think he might be happier in an older, and more advanced class… like with Raphael, or Leonardo…"

"AH! I knew it!" Saki said as one of his crazy moods kicked in. "You can't handle the little viper, so you're trying to foist him off on one of the other teachers!"

"No, no, no, of course not, it's just that…"

"Yes, typical slothful, cowardice." Yoshi was stunned. Only Saki would call him a coward, and never for any good reason either. "Listen to me, Yoshi." He grabbed a large heavy ball that was called a Shotput and showed it to the tinier man. "The distance the Shotput goes all depends on the effort you put into it. Perspiration! If you can't handle the little brat, I'll lock him up in the Chokey!" He turned around with great speed and threw the heavy metal ball at the Chokey, smashing it into a nail, driving the metal spike deeper into the room. He then turned around with a large smile on his face before putting on his metal mask once more. "Get it?" He kept grinning as he thought of the fear that would be on the sensei's face if he knew the boy's real last name.

"Yes sir."

"One day, Yoshi, you'll see that everything I do is for your own good." He started pushing Yoshi towards the door. "And the good of those Putrescent little children!" Saki slammed the door on Yoshi and grabbed some more of his shuriken, throwing them onto the dart board and scratching more children's pictures.

Yoshi sighed as he went back into the room; he would not be able to get Donatello into the advanced classes just yet. His smile returned though once he entered the room. Michelangelo, April, and Donatello had already finished their sections on the workbook that they needed to. Now the three of them were helping each other with their katas. Donatello was quickly learning it seemed, as they were already practicing their current set of katas. He had also chosen the purple mask and the Bo staff for his weapon of choice. 'I'll ask Leonardo and Raphael's teachers if they have some spare books and manuals. This boy shall quickly advance through the ranks, no matter what Oroku Saki says…'


	14. Chapter 14

Donatello walked home with a skip in his step until he reached his street. He then noticed the two FBI agents that had been assigned to watch his adoptive father. In one of the books he had read at the library, he had found that because there were no papers in the house that had claim over him, he could have in fact been stolen, or sold to them, or, in a very unlikely case, the Wormwoods had just never gotten any papers about him or for him. Donatello shook his head as he noticed one was asleep while the other man was reading the newspaper. Donatello then ran into the house.

"Mom, I'm home!" Donatello called as he entered the house, clutching his books to his chest with pride.

Zinnia was on the phone talking to one of her friends. "How was school." She said out of habit before returning to her conversation.

Donatello was surprised that she had acknowledged him enough to ask. "School was great!" Donatello smiled as he made his way over to the couch where she was sitting. "My teacher lets me do sixth grade work and study third year ninjitsu!" He smiled with pride as he attempted to show his mother the books that Hamato Yoshi had given him. "Look, Algebra, Geography, and Ninjitsu: Mind over Muscle."

Zinnia was starting to get annoyed with the boy. She hadn't meant to get him to talk to her. Michael usually just said it was fine and went to his room. Donatello was actually excited about school though. "Hold on a minute." She said to her friend on the other end. She then glared at Donatello. "Can't you see I'm in the middle of an important phone call?"

Donatello was slightly confused. "Well you just asked me how school was."

"Quiet!" She turned over so that she was leaning more into the couch while talking on her phone.

Donatello rolled his eyes while his mother resumed the conversation with her friend. He continued to try and explain how his day had gone. "Well it was really great." Zinnia plugged her other ear to try and keep the boy's words out of her head. "The principal is insane!" Zinnia grabbed a pillow from the couch and placed it on her free ear. "He threw a girl over the fence by her hair!" Donatello sighed as his mother continued ignoring him. He then had a small smile on his face as he thought about the Hamato family. "I have the most wonderful teacher…" Donatello then started towards his room.

"…mine are driving me crazy! I'm telling you, eight hours a day at school is not enough." Zinnia muttered into the phone.

"I'll say!" Donatello agreed as he made his way to his room to start on his homework. Zinnia looked up at him with surprise. She hadn't expected him to hear her.


	15. Chapter 15

The Wormwood family was going through its usual dinnertime fun of watching television while eating TV dinners and snack foods. Donatello, who had finished his dinner, was already working on his homework in his usual chair. His brother and father were reenacting the wrestling match that was playing on TV while his mother was watching the screen. Suddenly, the doorbell rang.

"…saved by the bell?" Harry asked confused as he and his son stopped pretending to fight. Zinnia looked up at him with confusion from her chair. The fight was still going on. "Packages at this hour?" Harry went to answer the door while the others resumed their activities, Donatello wasn't even phased by it. He was too engrossed in the algebra problems he had in front of him.

Standing at the door was not the delivery man, but was instead Donatello's sensei, Hamato Yoshi. Yoshi had left his sons at home while he went to talk to Donatello's family about what had happened. He was in his casual attire that was fitting of America, though he much preferred his kimono. He was wearing his t-shirt and some jeans and looked almost like an American. "Hello…"

"We don't give money, we don't like charities, we don't by raffle tickets." Harry droned as he started to close the door on the sensei.

Yoshi frowned and stuck his hand in the door, stopping it from closing. "Mr. Wormwood, I am Hamato Yoshi." Donatello looked up from his homework with shock at this. He looked towards the door where his teacher and father were. "I'm Donatello's teacher and sensei."

Harry frowned. "What's he done now?" He then turned to the young boy with brown-red eyes and yelled, "You, go to your room, right now! Beat it!" Donatello didn't question it, but also didn't go all the way to his room. He used his ninjitsu skills to hide in the shadows so that he could watch. Yoshi noticed this and was concerned. He also noticed that the family looked nothing like Donatello, nor did it act anything like him. Harry then turned back to Yoshi and laughed, "Whatever it is, he's your problem now."

Yoshi was determined to straighten out the matter, even if Harry was too full of himself to listen. "No, there is no problem." Yoshi said, keeping the door open.

"Then beat it, we're watching TV." Harry tried for a third time to close the door on Hamato Yoshi, who was not impressed at all now.

"Mr. Wormwood," Yoshi's expression was no longer the kind and gentle teacher that his students and sons knew, but was that of a ticked off parent, which was something that his sons barely saw. "If you think that watching some rotten TV show is more important than your son, then maybe you shouldn't be a parent. Now, why don't you turn that darn thing off and listen to me explain what your son is capable of."

"What makes you such a great person to know what it's like to be a parent? You're just a cruddy teacher!"

"I'm also a parent, and if something were to be addressed about my sons, then I would listen before judgment."

Harry frowned as he realized that the sensei would not leave until he had said his piece. "Fine, alright, come on in and get this over with… Mrs. Wormwood's not going to like this. Come on, get in." Hamato Yoshi squeezed through the small opening with his books and papers in hand. "Close the door."

"Who is it?" Zinnia yelled while pretending to punch at the television set.

"Some teacher, says he has to talk to you about Donatello!" Harry then grabbed the remote and begrudgingly turned off the TV.

"What you do that for? He had him on the ropes!" Zinnia whined while her son looked at him for an answer with the same thought on his mind.

"What do you want?" Harry growled, unaware that Donatello was still watching from his hiding place in the shadows. He desperately wished he had his Bo staff so that he could whack Harry for threatening his sensei.

Yoshi took a deep breath and started his explanation. "I'm sure you are aware by now that Donatello has a brilliant mind."

Harry laughed. "Yeah right, Mikey, give me a beer." Yoshi winced at the thought of his own Mikey being told to do that and shook it off.

"His math skills are simply extraordinary. He's reading material that I didn't…"

"Want one?" Michael asked after tossing one to his father.

Yoshi looked at the child and sensed that he was too much like his father to even care, but he'd continue trying to get through anyway. 'I hope my Michelangelo does not drink this stuff when he grows up…' He then shook his head. "No thank you, young man." He then went back to looking at Harry. "…material that I didn't see until my second year of college." This got the adults to scoff at the man more.

"Ugh, college." Zinnia mocked as she crossed her arms.

"Great, college." Harry laughed as he walked towards his wife.

"I really feel that, with private instruction, that he'd be ready for college in just a few short years, maybe even ready to join as a faculty member at the school."

"Look, Mr. Snit." Zinnia said as she stood up from her seat. Donatello glared from the shadows, and his sensei noticed. He did a quick small hand gesture to the boy to tell him to calm down and do nothing. Donatello nodded after realizing that his mentor had caught him, took a deep breath, and remained silently standing in his shadowy hiding place. "A boy does not need college to get anywhere. Take a look at you and my husband for instance. You chose college and now you're wiping snotty noses of brats and trying to get them to learn all that fancy ninja stuff, while my Harry is a successful business owner with a nice house who married me and had a kid; and he never went to college. You want Donatello to go to college? Ha!" Yoshi noticed that she said " _had_ _ **a**_ _kid"_ instead of had **_two_** kids. These people didn't even want to acknowledge Donatello as their own.

The Wormwoods continued laughing at the thought of Donatello actually amounting to something. "College?" Harry laughed, "I never went to college. I don't know anyone that did. Bunch of hippies and cesspool salesmen."

"Do not sneer at educated people, Mr. Wormwood." Yoshi kept himself calm, having dealt with ignorant people before… just not this ignorant. "If you became ill, heaven forbid, your doctor would be a college graduate." Harry rolled his eyes and sneered. "Or say someone decided to sue you for," Donatello's eyes went wide as he realized his teacher was about to make a vital mistake. "selling a faulty car. The lawyer who defended you would have gone to college too."

Donatello winced. 'Never mention legalities to my father, he hates that…'

Harry growled, "What car? Sued by who? Who you been talking to?"

Yoshi blinked in surprise as he realized what Wormwood's occupation was. "N…nobody…" He sighed. "I can see we aren't going to get along… I am sorry for barging in on you like this."

He started towards the door while the Wormwoods, minus Donatello, made their way back to the television like moths to the flame. "We oughta sue him for interrupting our show." Zinnia grumbled as they turned the TV back on.

"Tell me about it." Harry grimaced as he hits the button on the remote. They don't notice that Hamato Yoshi left something in a hiding spot, making sure that Donatello knew where it was. It was a set of books; _The Wind in the Willows,_ and _Myths of Japan_ , one of Karai's favorite books. He glanced at Donatello and mouthed 'Tomorrow', while Donatello replied with a silent 'Thank you'. Harry was ticked off though at what the television was showing. "Why's he standing in the middle of the ring?"

"He's standing in the middle of the ring cuz it's over." Zinnia complained.

"We missed it?"

"Great, it's over."

"Who won?"

"How should I know, you turned it off?"

Neither of the bickering couple noticed Donatello sneak past them with his ninja skills that he had learned from both Karai and Yoshi, as he grabbed the books. As silently as he arrived, Donatello then retreated into his room to read his books and work on his homework. It was one of his better nights.


	16. Chapter 16

Hamato Yoshi frowned as he walked home. "Something is not right. Those two are obviously not the parents of Donatello… was he adopted?" He muttered to himself as he walked through the town. It didn't take him long to get to his home, hidden from his enemies, but made hospitable for his sons. He smiled kindly as he found the three boys were practicing their katas.

Michelangelo stopped when he noticed his father come in. "Dad!" He smiled as he ran up to the man and hugged him. "How was Donatello's?"

The other two boys also stopped practicing to hear what was to be said about their friend. Yoshi gave a kind smile to his sons. "It was… enlightening and eventful, my sons." He sat down in a chair while his sons surrounded him on the floor, hoping for details. "I do not think that Donatello is really a Wormwood."

"Really?" Leonardo and Raphael looked at each other in surprise while Michelangelo frowned.

"Really. His parents do not seem to care for him at all, nor do they act or look like him. I believe he was adopted, though I am unsure of what could have made them adopt him if they do not even appreciate him."

"They don't appreciate him? That sucks." Raphael grunted while Michelangelo scratched his head.

"What does that mean?"

Leonardo spoke up. "It means that they don't like him and take him for granted."

"Oh… that's not good. He shouldn't have to deal with that… maybe he could stay with a friend or something if his parents don't want him." Michelangelo was so innocent sometimes that it was hard to believe that he was already quite skilled in ninjitsu and the nunchakus. "Didn't he mention that friend, Karai? Maybe he could stay with her?"

"I have been a teacher for years at Ninjitsu Hall, and I have yet to meet the young lady. Perhaps she is in another school or is home schooled, but I do not think that it is possible for Donatello to stay with her."

"Why not?" Michelangelo frowned as he pursed his lips and looked up at his father. He didn't understand. Donatello was a good kid. If his parents didn't want him, surely his friends' family would take him in.

"They do not likely know Donatello, nor would they be legally allowed to take the boy from his parents without going to court."

"Oh…"

Yoshi looked at the small clock on the kitchen counter that connected the kitchen to the living room. "It is getting late, my sons. You shall see Donatello tomorrow, no doubt. Get some rest."

"Hai, Sensei." The three smiled as they hugged their father good night and left to their rooms.

Yoshi sighed as he wished that he could do better for his sons than what they had, but it was all they could do at the moment. 'Donatello… who are you really?' was the question that plagued his mind that night as he fell asleep in his own bed.


	17. Chapter 17

The next day at school, class started normally enough with attendance and some sparring practice. Michelangelo had Donatello as his partner, while April was sparring with Irma. Michelangelo was swinging his nunchakus around and laughing like a mad man, as was usual for the excitable boy. Donatello just laughed along with him as he dodged most attacks and blocked many others with his Bo-staff. Donatello now had his purple ninja gi and mask and looked like a true ninja, even with his glasses on over his mask. April was practicing with her fans while Irma was struggling with her wooden sticks that replaced her butterfly swords so that she wouldn't accidently cut her sparring partner.

Suddenly a voice on the intercom interrupted the practice. "Hop to, hippity hop! The entire school will go to the assembly room, immediately." Needless to say, Hamato Yoshi wasted no time in getting his students to the assembly room, even though they were still in their Gi. "Sit." Came the order from the Shredder's mouth as the school was assembled.

Donatello was sitting next to Michelangelo with April on his other side. "What's up?" The purple clad ninja student asked his orange clad friend.

"Beats me."

"He might just." April commented as she rubbed her head where her French braids had been.

The Shredder started pounding a fist into his open hand with the blades carefully tucked away as he overlooked the school. "Leatherhead Utrom." The school gasped as they looked to the student sitting in the back. He took a deep breath to keep himself calm. "Would little Leatherhead come up here, please?" The Shredder's voice was sickly sweet as he indicated for the dark green clad ninja to come up.

Leatherhead had been adopted by a Mr. Mortu Utrom when he was a child after an orphanage had raised him for six years with the strange name. He was a tall African American boy with bright yellow eyes, a black crew cut, and was well built. He stood up slowly, as all feared the Shredder, and made his way to the front.

The only thing Michelangelo could say at this point was "Uh-oh!" As the class watched him walk up there. He then turned to Donatello with a fear in his eyes. "He lives in our neighborhood. He's really a nice guy and he's one of our friends. He's also in Leo's class… What do you think the Shredder will do to him?" He whispered in a panic.

Donatello placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down. "I don't know, but at this point all we can do is watch." Michelangelo nodded and faced forward.

Leatherhead made his way up to the stage like a man walking to the guillotine. The Shredder pointed to the boy with that crazy stare in his eyes that the students had grown accustomed to. There were no teachers in the room to save them now as the teachers had been sent back to their classrooms to get everything ready for the next portion of class. Hamato Yoshi on the other hand was simply using the time to get more supplies for his class, including Donatello, while showing the boy's work to the teachers from whom he had borrowed workbooks from.

The Shredder growled once the boy arrived on the stage, standing at attention. "This boy, Leatherhead Utrom, is none other than a vicious sneak-thief." Shredder turned his head to the boy, his face hidden by the mask, but his deathly gaze still visible to the young boy. "You're a disgusting criminal, aren't you?"

Leatherhead took another deep breath. He was usually in counseling for anger management issues. His adopted father was the only adult who had yet to witness these issues. "I am afraid I do not know what you are talking about? Can you please explain your accusation?"

The Shredder leered down at the boy coming inches before his face. "CAKE! Chocolate Cake! You slithered like a serpent into the school's kitchen and ate my PERSONAL SNACK!" Leonardo gazed into the heavens wondering why the board of education let a madman who would complain about cake disappearing and torture students be a headmaster. Shredder was still ranting. "Do you deny it?"

Leatherhead raised an eyebrow, slightly confused as to why it was such an issue. He gazed out to the students where he saw his friends; Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael, all looking worried in their own ways. Raphael was clenching his fist. Leonardo was taking deep breaths. Michelangelo was biting his lip while shaking. He had actually taken the cake and shared it with many of the students, as it had been a large cake, but he would not admit that. Leatherhead then looked back at the crazy eyed man who was willing to kill him.

"CONFESS!" Shredder hissed.

Leatherhead gazed at him lazily. "Well it is hard for me to remember a specific cake, as I really don't recall the last time I even had cake."

"I don't believe you. This cake was mine, and it was the most scrumptious cake in the entire world."

Leatherhead rolled his eyes. "I bet I could make a better one had I the ingredients."

"Oh you could, could you? How can you be so sure unless you have another piece?" He grabbed the boy by the shoulder and forced him to sit at a chair next to a table on stage for everyone to see. "Sit down, Utrom." He then grabbed the golden lid on a plate and lifted the lid. Under the lid was a large piece of chocolate cake. The Shredder picked up a large knife that obviously belonged in a kitchen. The children all gasped, and their eyes widened as they feared the Shredder would use the knife on the young man. "Here we go." The Shredder lifted up the piece of cake with the knife and plopped the gooey piece into Leatherhead's hand, barely fitting the piece in his palm. "Smells chocolatey, eh? Now, eat it!" He stabbed the knife down into the table.

Fearing it was poisoned, as the Shredder was not a generous man, Leatherhead looked up and said, "I don't want any, thank you."

The headmaster then got up in the boy's face and shouted, "EAT IT!"

Leatherhead, seeing he had no choice, started to bring the piece to his face. Michelangelo was whispering against it while Raphael was certain it was poisoned. Leonardo was close to agreeing with his brother, thinking that Oroku Saki wouldn't give cake to a starving man… he'd beat him. Leatherhead took a small bite of the chocolate frosting. 'This one's even better than the one I stole for the others yesterday. I won't let him know that though. He'd hurt them all.' Leatherhead nodded his approval while the Shredder smiled evilly down at the boy. He continued on eating his cake, sensing no danger from the pastry. After about ten minutes, the over large piece of desert was gone and Leatherhead was licking his fingers.

"You looked like you enjoyed that, Leatherhead." Saki smiled while patting the boy on the back.

Leatherhead looked up with a chocolate covered smirk. "Yes, sir." He mumbled through what was left of the cake.

Oroku Saki's grin became even more terrifying as he started talking in a sickly sweet voice. "You must have some more?"

Leatherhead's eyes widened in fear as he saw what he had been pulled into. He shook his head and a muffled "No, thanks." came out.

"But you'll hurt the Cook's feelings. HUN!" Shredder called out to his most loyal staff member, who happened to have the same idea as him on children.

Hun was a terrifying man who looked like he belonged on the front cover of "Body Builder Magazines". The only reason he was employed as the head cook of the school instead of as a teacher, was because he had not learned how to become a ninja, but he did respect them… at least he respected Oroku Saki.

Hun came in carrying the rest of the large double layered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting on it. The children gasped at how big it was as they slowly realized what Leatherhead's punishment was to be. The Shredder smiled dangerously. "He made this cake just for you to have on your very own. His sweat and blood went into it, and you will not leave this platform until you have consumed the entire confection!"

Hun grinned as he handed the boy a fork. "The **_entire_** confection." Then he turned to the other children and pointed to them. "See you at lunch."

"Thank you, Hun." Shredder's evil smile just kept growing, unlike Leatherhead's hunger. "You wanted cake, you got cake. Now, eat it!"

The school gasped in shock at the amount of cake before the boy. There was no way he'd be able to eat all of that! Leatherhead started eating as much as he could, shoveling fork full after fork full into his mouth.

"Poor Leatherhead…" Michelangelo whimpered as he saw the boy start to look sick. After about twenty minutes the fork was forgotten in place of Leatherhead's large hands. Two thirds of the cake had been consumed by the time that he had started to have a half dead gaze in his brown eyes. Still he tried to eat as much as he could. "He's going to puke." Michelangelo turned away and covered his eyes. "Is he going to puke?"

Donatello kept looking onward at the large boy and grimaced. "Without a doubt…" That was the point when Leatherhead's body started to give up. He started to slump forward. Donatello looked around at the other kids, all losing hope because of this.

"Leatherhead looks real bad, Leo." Raph muttered to his brother. Leonardo could only nod in agreement.

"Give up?" The Shredder had his face near Leatherhead's as the boy tried to fight the exhaustion of eating almost fifty pounds of chocolate.

Donatello couldn't stop himself as he saw the boy on the stage nearly pass out. He stood up, surprising everyone, and shouted, "You can do it, Leatherhead!" Everyone turned to him. "You can do it!" The children then started whispering to each other about the brave young first year.

Raphael was the next to stand up after giving his brother a dangerous smirk. "Yeah, you can do it!" He also pumped his fist into the air for good measure. He turned to look at Leonardo, expecting him to be annoyed, but was pleasantly surprised to find a smirk on the blue ninja's face.

Leo himself then stood up on his chair and shouted, "Go Leatherhead!" With the most obedient student in the clan cheering for the boy, others got their courage as well.

Michelangelo started a chant with Donatello quickly following, as well as the rest of the school. "Leatherhead! Leatherhead! Leatherhead!" The students cheered, led on by the Hamato children and their friend Donatello. Saki did not know who had started this though.

"SILENCE!" Saki tried to quiet the students down as Leatherhead looked at all the support he now had. He gave a large toothy smile, albeit it was covered in chocolate, but he at least looked more alive than he had moments before.

The children continued cheering, and as they did, Leatherhead became overfilled with confidence. He grabbed a large chunk of the cake and made his way to the front of the stage with it. "YES!" He shouted back before shoving the piece into his mouth. The Shredder continued to try and silence the school while the boy went back to his cake. Putting his face to the plate, Leatherhead began eating it as fast as he could and as much as he could. As the cheering continued and the Shredder continued to try to silence them all, Leatherhead finished the plate and licked it clean in front of the students, showing them his victory against the tyrant. The children were so happy that they started to climb onto their chairs and cheer even louder for the tall African boy.

Their happiness was short lived however when the Shredder grabbed the glass plate and slammed it onto Leatherhead's head, stunning their hero. They all sat down quickly. The Shredder glared at them. "The entire assembly shall stay five hours after school copying from the dictionary. Any children who refuses will be put in the Chokey… TOGETHER!" The cramped space was already dangerous enough, and who knew where the evil man was dragging Leatherhead. All that was certain was that they had come close to winning that day, even if they now had to spend five hours after school for something that the headmaster had brought upon himself.


	18. Chapter 18

When the bus dropped Donatello off at his house, he was sorely annoyed. He had managed to copy down most of the dictionary, but he knew the real problem would be when he stepped into the house. He noticed the car parked in front of his home and frowned. The FBI agents were eating junk food and watching a portable television set in their car. Donatello rolled his eyes. 'Those guys couldn't catch a cold.'

When he stepped into the house, the first thing he heard was his father yelling at him. "Young man, where were you?" Donatello knew that he wasn't concerned about him. He was annoyed about no one being able to take the packages into the house.

He decided to tell the truth, knowing that it would do nothing to sooth his father's temper anyway. "Master Oroku kept the whole school late because this boy ate some chocolate cake."

As predicted, his father did not believe him. "That's the biggest lie I've ever heard. You see those packages over there? They were left out there for the world to see because you weren't here to take them in!"

"Well I don't think it's fair, Bumpkins." Zinnia whined as she passed him and handed him a desert kabob with marshmallows and lifesavers on it.

"What?" Harry was confused.

"You get all this stuff from catalogs and I don't get anything."

"It's not catalogs, its car parts, sweetness. It's business." Harry tried to explain.

"Oh? If it's business than why don't you have it sent to the office?"

"Because the cops may be watching the office…"

Donatello rolled his eyes as he placed some leftover pizza into the microwave. "The cops are watching the house."

Both parents stared at the boy. Harry was the first to question him. "What?"

"They're parked outside, right now."

Harry made his way to the window while Zinnia just shook her head. "You are such an ignoramus." Donatello raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't even know his mother had that word in her vocabulary. "Those are speedboat salesmen! Really nice guys."

Donatello rolled his eyes once more as he pulled his pizza out of the microwave. "Cops."

Harry made his way to the window and pulled the curtains aside a little bit so that he could see. Sure enough, the two men in the car were still there. "Speedboats? There are no lakes around here!"

"Yeah, but some people like to go away on the weekends." His wife huffed. "Some people like to have fun."

"And some people are cops." Donatello interjected before taking a bite of his pizza.

"They are not cops." Harry argued.

"Are too."

"They are not. I don't know if there's cops watching my house! Now go to bed, you lying little earwig!" Donatello took his pizza, his schoolbag, and his common sense and left the room, heading back towards his own room where he promptly locked the door and started working on his homework. 'How did I end up with idiots like these guys? I wonder why they took me in if they don't even want me anyway… I wonder what my real family was like…'


	19. Chapter 19

With the FBI watching his adoptive father, as Donatello had convinced himself by now that there was no way he was related to the man, and the Shredder terrorizing his school; it was a rare and happy moment when Donatello could just play with his friends. Donatello was out of the house early one morning with his friends; Leatherhead, April, Irma, Casey, and the Hamato boys. He secretly wished that he had been able to contact Karai and ask her to join, but he knew that he couldn't ask for everything. They were currently looking in a nearby forested area for a class mascot.

Michelangelo, with his net, called out in excitement, "A bug! A BUG!"

"What is it, Mikey?" Donatello asked as the children ran to the youngest member of the group.

"A Bug!" Michelangelo repeated himself again.

When the children got to school, they had the lizard like creature placed in a jar of water while Donatello and Leatherhead looked up what it was. "It's a salamander." Raphael smirked as the creature tried to climb out of the jar in his little brother's hand.

"No way, I say it's a chameleon." Leonardo laughed.

At this point, the two geniuses, Donatello and Leatherhead, had found the page in their book that they were looking for. "It's a newt. Any of the small semi-aquatic salamanders from the genus traiteurs…"

Leatherhead continued the sentence from there. "Some are brightly colored and secrete irritating substances." The tall boy then turned the book to show the others the picture of their new friend.

At that moment, the Shredder came up in his car that seemed to be breaking down. Donatello took one look at the license plate on the car that said "Wormwood Motors" and instantly knew what was wrong. "Everyone scatter!" He didn't need to tell them twice! The children quickly picked up their things, but Donatello was not fast enough as the Shredder came near him.

"WORMWOOD!" Donatello risked a glance at the enraged instructor, which turned out to be a mistake on his part. "Sell me a lemon? You're heading for the Chokey, young man!" He grabbed the boy by the arm and dragged him through the school.

"The Chokey?" Donatello's eyes widened in fear as he was dragged into the office of the Shredder.

"Teach you a lesson!"

"What lesson?"

"You and your father think you can make a fool out of me!"

"My father?" Donatello's mind raced as his bag was taken and thrown to the side of the room. 'What has that crook done now?'

"The guy with the stupid haircut!"

"I'm nothing like my father!" Donatello protested, unknowing of who his true father was.

"You're the spitting image!" The Shredder growled, thinking of the boy's real father while also thinking that this was a good way to punish the boy without him suspecting who he really hated more; the foster father, or the real one. He shoved Donatello into the Chokey, and started to close the door as Donatello tried to adjust himself so as not to be hurt by the spikes. "The apple doesn't rot far from the tree!" Donatello was trapped and had never been so scared in his life!

"Father!" Michelangelo called unexpectedly as he ran into the classroom. Hamato Yoshi was busy fixing April's hair once more into a ponytail so that the headmaster would not throw her again. "Father!"

"Master Oroku teaches our class today, Michelangelo. Please get a water pitcher." His mind was distracted with so much worry that he barely registered that his child was calling out to him in fear and as his son rather than as his pupil.

"But, Father!"

"Please hurry, my son. He shall be here any second! Hurry along!" Michelangelo bit his lip as he rushed towards the sink to get the pitcher of water for the principal who was torturing his best friend. "Make sure the water is cold, Michelangelo. Irma, cover the paintings! Put away the art projects! Put away anything colorful. Oh, Tyler, will you please put those crayons away?"

Most great ideas come from hard work and careful planning. Of course, once in a while, they just jump out at you. Michelangelo had one such idea as he finished filling the jug with water. He looked at the newt in the jar that he still had, as it was supposed to be the class' new mascot. He glanced nervously at his sensei and then at the jar once more and made up his mind. 'For Donatello…' He opened the lid of the jar and poured the newt into the jug, which was dark and made of metal, so no one would notice it.

"Hurry, children, I hear him coming!" The children all made their way to their desks, save for Michelangelo, who was starting towards the front with the jug and a glass for the principal to drink from. "Now last time, some of you forgot yourselves." Hamato Yoshi was trying to think of what they needed to be reminded of to keep them safe. "Do not speak unless spoken to, do not laugh, do not smile, do not even breathe loudly…"

"Don't breathe at all." The Shredder came in, startling some of the students with his suddenness. The children all stood at attention, fearing the masked man's wrath.

"Good morning, Master Oroku." Yoshi said solemnly.

"Good morning, Master Oroku." The children chorused.

The Shredder was not impressed. "Sit." The children sat, save for Michelangelo, who continued forward with a rare seriousness upon his face, and the water and glass in hand. He placed them on the desk where the Principal would sit for the time and waited for his dismissal from the man who gave him nightmares. "Shoo." Michelangelo walked as calmly as he could back to his desk, but his father noticed him shaking slightly. 'He's going to have more nightmares again tonight…' unknowing that Michelangelo was really shaking in rage for once.

'If he hurt Donnie, I'm gonna kill him.' The thought surprised the young boy as he made his way back to his seat behind the empty desk that belonged to the missing boy in question.

Hamato Yoshi now noticed the absent student and wondered what on earth could have kept the young boy away from something he so desperately loved; school and his friends. He looked to his son and mouthed silently, 'Where is Donatello?'

Michelangelo glanced at him with worry and mouthed back, while making a choking motion; 'Chokey!'

Yoshi was horrified. Donatello was too kind a boy to belong in the Chokey for even mere seconds! Never mind the minutes he must have been in there since before the class had started! He slowly started towards the door, signaling to his students that he was going to make a rescue of the young boy. The students all gave a silent and almost unnoticeable signal that they understood. Hamato Yoshi left no student behind, and neither would they!

"My idea of a perfect school is one in which there are no children at all, wouldn't you agree, Sensei Hamato?" The principal asked with an evil grin as he noticed the teacher trying to slip away. Yoshi gave a curt nod, knowing it was the response the madman wanted, before leaving. The Shredder grinned evilly as he thought about what shape the boy that Yoshi was obviously going to rescue would be in.


	20. Chapter 20

Yoshi wasted no time as soon as he was out the door and in the hall. He ran straight for the office of Oroku Saki and to the dreaded Chokey that held one of his precious students. He knew where the key was and started to unlock the door. He pulled it open to reveal a pale skinned boy in glasses, wearing a purple gi and shaking in fear. The boy looked at his sensei with tears in his mahogany eyes as the teacher knelt down to examine him.

"Are you alright, Donatello?" Donatello nodded numbly as he cried a little. Yoshi let the scared child hug him so that he could calm down. "It's alright, you're safe now…" It didn't take long for Donatello to calm himself down to a reasonable level and the two ran back to class after the boy had retrieved his bag from the corner.

They came in to see Oroku Saki holding Irma by her ankle as things fell out of her pockets. "…next time I tell you to empty your pockets, you'll do it faster!"

"Yes, Master Oroku!" Irma grunted as she felt the blood rush to her head. Donatello looked at her with worry as he sat down in front of Michelangelo. The desks were in rows that day.

Hamato Yoshi stood next to the two boys desk, hoping that less harm would be done to the children than usual. Oroku Saki was pleased at the pale expressions on both Yoshi and Donatello. "Master Hamato…" Yoshi made eye contact with the metal wearing man. "This might be the most interesting thing you've ever done." As it was rare that Hamato Yoshi ever left the class alone with the madman. This had been an emergency though, and one of his pupils, one of his children, had been placed in the Chokey. He considered all the students in his care to be his children, and treated them as he would his own sons. He especially felt this towards Donatello, as the boy's family obviously did not care for him. The Shredder then looked to Irma as he dropped the poor girl. "Sit down, you squirming worm of vomit."

Irma rushed to grab her glasses and other various objects from the ground. "Thank you, Master Oroku." She squeaked out as she made her way back to her desk.

The Shredder then grabbed the pitcher that had his water, and Michelangelo's newt in it. He was about to pour himself a glass when he suddenly stopped, placed the pitcher and glass on the desk and rushed up to April. "Get up." April quickly stood up at attention, making sure that her hair was in a ponytail still, though it had been made into one only minutes before. "Can you spell?"

April blinked and hurried into responding. "Sensei Hamato taught us how to spell a long word yesterday. We can spell 'Difficulty'."

The Shredder growled. "You couldn't spell 'Difficulty' if your miserable life depended on it."

April took a deep breath. "He taught us with a poem."

"A poem, how sweet." He was using his sickeningly sweet voice to mock the child. "What poem would that be?"

April took another deep breath before starting. "Mrs. D, Mrs. I," She waived her hands a little to get some assistance. Everyone in the class, save for the adults, started chanting along with her. "Mrs. FFI, Mrs. C, Mrs. U, Mrs. LTY."

The Shredder pounded his fist on April's desk, startling all the students in the room to look forward once more. "Why are all these women married?" He growled towards Yoshi. "'Mrs. D, Mrs. I?' You're supposed to be teaching them spelling and ninjitsu, not poetry!"

April quickly sat back down at her desk, hoping to avoid the headmaster's wrath while worrying for her sensei's safety, as many did. Donatello's mind was also filled with this concern, but also with the fear of the Shredder sending him back to the Chokey for his adopted father's crime. Oroku Saki slammed his fist onto Donatello's desk this time, with the claws of his armor out, and scaring the young boy into wishing he was a turtle with a shell.

The Shredder then returned to Hamato Yoshi's desk and started pouring some water into the glass that had been provided for him while ranting about children being small pests. He brought the glass to his lips and drank, not noticing the small amphibious creature that was swimming in it. The children and Hamato Yoshi on the other hand did notice it. The children couldn't help but whisper about it, save for Donatello and Michelangelo, who knew exactly what and where the creature had come from. Michelangelo's attention was on something else though.

His attention was on a shimmering image of a lady who was also smiling as she looked at the headmaster drinking water, almost kissing the newt. Michelangelo had seen her constantly as he grew up, and knew who she was. What he didn't know, was why he was the only one who could see her and hear her, which had been comfort in times when he couldn't go to his father. He was even more confused about why she was in his school today. She usually just stayed around where their home was. The lady looked to Michelangelo and smiled kindly. "You are not the only little one with powers in this room, my son." The lady smiled warmly as Oroku Saki noticed the children's whispers. "Pay attention, and you'll know something that Donatello doesn't even know." She chuckled softly, as though she had to. Michelangelo gave one short and curt nod before the headmaster started to speak again. 'What are you up to mom? You can't do anything in that form, you said so yourself…'

"What's funny?" Oroku Saki asked as he put the glass down. "Hmm? Come on, spit it out. I like a joke as much as the next robotic man." This got a few of them to shush up as they realized he knew about that nickname. No child spoke up, but Oroku Saki looked down at the glass anyway, his senses finally telling him something was wrong with the water. His dark eyes widened in shock as he saw the newt. Some of the children couldn't help but giggle. "AH! It's a SNAKE!" He put a hand to his throat. "It's a snake!" Michelangelo started to chuckle now while his father, Hamato Yoshi only let out a small smirk. Donatello raised his hand, wanting to get something cleared up. "One of you tried to poison me! Who did this?" Then he noticed Donatello's hand raised up, at an ill gotten time. Part of the madman's mind told him that it had to be the boy behind him, for Michelangelo had brought the water up while Donatello was in the Chokey, but at the moment, he didn't care. He just really hated Donatello at the moment. "YOU! Donatello!" The other students turned towards the boy in question who now had a calm face on, hiding his fear and anger as he had trained himself to do. "I knew it!"

Donatello lowered his hand. "I just thought you'd like to know, it's not a snake; it's a newt."

"What did you say?" The headmaster hissed.

"It's a Newt, Master Oroku."

"Stand up, you villainous sack of goat slime, you did this!"

Donatello stood up calmly, wishing he had his bo staff in hand. "No, Master Oroku."

"Did you act alone? Or did you have accomplices?"

Michelangelo looked to his friend with worry, wondering if Donatello would tell on him. Much to his relief and surprise, the purple ninja only responded with an "I didn't do it."

"You didn't like the Chokey, did you?" Oroku Saki growled as he made his way towards the young boy. "Thought you'd pay me back, didn't you!" as though it were possible to be in two places at once. "Well I'll pay you back, young man!"

"For what, Master Oroku?" Donatello's gaze kept even, straight, and staring at his principal.

"For this newt, you piss-worm!" The Shredder shouted in the child's face. Donatello was trembling slightly, but not enough for the Shredder to notice.

"I'm telling you, I didn't do it!"

Oroku Saki stood up and growled as his mind cleared a bit. "Besides, even if you didn't do it, I'm going to punish you." He started towards the desk again. "Because I'm big and you're small, and I'm right and you're wrong; and there's nothing you can do about it." Donatello's gaze fell on the glass with the newt in it as the headmaster stood behind the desk. He silently wished that it would tip over and splash all over the metal man, and the newt would startle him. "You're a liar and a scoundrel. You're father's a liar and a cheat! You're the most corrupt low-lives in the history of civilization."

Now Donatello's gaze hardened on the glass, wishing even harder for the glass to tip over. Michelangelo noticed something happening. He noticed a strange mystical energy flowing from Donatello's eyes and touching his mother. He was afraid at first, but his fears subsided as he saw his mother seemed to be strengthened by the young boy's gaze, though it was in a different part of the room. The woman with dark black hair and mahogany eyes walked over to the glass and started testing how much power she really had at the moment.

Oroku Saki kept ranting, unaware of the shaking glass in front of him. "Am I wrong? I'm never wrong. In this classroom, in this school, I AM GOD!" On the last word, Donatello's gaze hardened into a squint and the woman smiled as she tipped the glass while using her ghostly abilities, merged with Donatello's mental energy helping her, to throw the newt onto the metal wearing maniac. "WAH AHHH!" Oroku screamed as he found the newt was on his chest plate. Not wanting to touch the slimy thing, he started jumping around in fear.

Donatello's eyes snapped wide open as he saw what he had wished happen. Michelangelo's mind, though not as smart or fast as Donatello's, was already running through the possibilities of what had happened, and why. His mother was helping his best friend… why? Or was it the other way around? He'd have to ask his mother later, as it was possible that Donatello didn't believe in spirits, what with him being a genius, and they usually dismissed the idea.

He quickly joined in on the whole class' laughter as their headmaster seemed to be dancing, trying to get the newt off of him without touching it. Even Hamato Yoshi was having a hard time keeping a smile off of his face. Eventually giving in, Oroku Saki flung the salamander off of him, making it land on a light fixture before falling into the waiting hands of Irma. Irma quickly placed the lizard into her desk to hide him from the headmaster.

Oroku Saki took only a moment before choosing his victim to blame the newt upon. "YOU!" He growled once more at Donatello.

"I didn't move!" It was the truth, but that didn't mean he was going to admit to tipping it over with his mind. That was just silly… wasn't it?

"You…" The principal repeated as he made his way towards the boy's desk. "…did this!"

At this point when the principal seemed to want to strangle the child was when Hamato Yoshi interceded. "How could he have possibly done it if he was sitting way over here?"

Saki glared at Yoshi and noticed the fire in his eyes. He knew that in a fair fight, and with his pupils' help, he could easily defeat the Headmaster, but Hamato Yoshi was never one for hostile takeovers.

The blood in Donatello's ears was pounding, blocking out the threatening speech that the headmaster made as he made his way towards the door, threatening to be watching them all, especially him. With that, The headmaster left the room, and Donatello sat himself down at his desk once more, hoping to not pass out from shock and fear. He kept looking at the glass, wondering how it had happened while Michelangelo was wondering what the connection between his mother's ghost and his best friend was.

It only took a minute after the headmaster was gone for Hamato Yoshi to return to his usual form of Master Splinter, the good natured sensei that cared for his students and would teach them anything, no matter how long it took. He instantly went to check on Irma, who had been held up by her ankle while he ushered the others outside for recess.

Michelangelo placed a reassuring hand on Donatello and gave his signature smile that would light up the whole room. "Thanks for not telling on me, Donnie."

Donatello looked up at the boy and smiled back, fear of his own power still in his eyes, as well as confusion, which was rare for Michelangelo to find in the young genius' eyes. "Best friends don't tell." His mind replayed the events and slowed it down to a funny scene that would forever be in his mind. He chuckled. "He can really dance though, hehe." He made movements to imitate the headmaster while still in his chair.

"Hehe, yeah, think he'll be willing to teach us how to do that dance?" The two laughed.

Master Splinter gave a weak smile at the two, knowing that less than an hour ago, Donatello had been traumatized by the Chokey. He helped Irma to place the small newt back into its jar that Michelangelo had left next to the sink before ushering her outside. "Go on, outside with the others. I'll clean up this mess and then be out to help you all with the birdfeeders." Irma nodded and ran to catch up to April and the others.

Donatello looked around and grimaced as he realized the entire class, save for Michelangelo and Master Splinter, were outside. "Excuse me for a minute, Mikey…" Michelangelo nodded, knowing that his friend was still confused. Donatello walked up to the desk where Master Splinter was sitting while looking for some wipes to clean up the mess. "Master Splinter…"

"Yes, Donatello?"

Donatello sighed and frowned. He knew he had felt the power behind his eyes boil over and shoot out, but he also knew that they hit something else before they spilled the glass. He could only explain one part, so he explained the part he knew. "Sensei… I did it."

Yoshi was confused by the young pupil's confession, as it made no sense. "You did what, Donatello?"

"I made the glass tip over."

Michelangelo looked at his friend with understanding in his eyes. 'That's what happened! Mom used Donatello's anger and big brain's power to do something for us! On her own, she's not strong enough, but with Donatello's brain power, she can probably do all sorts of things!'

Master Splinter however, did not understand. "Do not think this way, my student. It is no one's fault. It was an accident."

"I did it with my eyes, watch." Donatello set the glass back up on the desk with water in it, and glared at it, trying to will t to fall over like it had earlier.

Master Splinter sighed and gave a small kind smile to the boy. "It is wonderful that you feel so powerful. Not many people feel that way, especially after an encounter with Oroku Saki."

Donatello started muttering for it to tip over, but found that his mind just wasn't providing the power it used to. Michelangelo looked to the shimmering figure of his mother for an answer. "He is still learning. When he can do it on his own and the reason is a good one, then I shall help. I have shown him what can happen with it by helping a little. He will practice and find his own power, much like you and the others have." Each Hamato child supposedly had a power. Michelangelo's was to see his mother's spirit. Raphael's was that he could convert his anger into strength. Leonardo's was a mysterious power that had not been able to be used since the death of their mother. Michelangelo didn't understand why Donatello's mind was so powerful, but he knew that his mother would probably explain everything to him later, like she always did.

He looked back to Donatello as he tried to convince Master Splinter that he really had tipped over the glass with his eyes.

Master Splinter gave a small smile of understanding. "One of the odd things about life, my student, is that sometimes you can do something until you wish to show it to someone, and then you cannot do it."

Donatello shook his head, feeling a little upset with himself. "This isn't like that…"

"Oh?"

"I don't know… maybe I made myself tired."

Master Splinter thought about it and knew that the young boy had been through a trying morning already. He then noticed the concern on Michelangelo's face. He gave another smile to both boys. "Donatello… would you like to come over to our home this afternoon? I'm sure the boys would love to have you over."

Donatello smiled back. "I'd like that very much, Sensei."

Michelangelo looked to his mother's shimmering form as she left the room with a smile. There would be no more use of her powers for today, and he knew she'd be home waiting for them that afternoon.


	21. Chapter 21

When the school day ended, Donatello used the school's phone to call his house and let his parents know he would be gone for a few extra hours. His mother was fine with it, and convinced her husband that it would be fine. Donatello was happy to know that he was allowed to stay out so long as he was back by seven. He practiced sparring with Michelangelo until the elder Hamato children came by.

"Did you miss your bus, Don?" Leonardo asked with a grimace.

"Nope, he's coming home with us!" Michelangelo said excitedly.

Donatello grimaced. "I have to be back by Seven though, but yeah. If you guys don't mind."

Raphael smiled. "We don't mind at all, kid. Yo, dad, you ready to go?"

"I am coming, my sons." Master Splinter had grabbed his walking stick and satchel and the five of them started to walk down the street towards the outskirts of the town.

On their way to the Hamato home, they passed by a large town house. Yoshi paused for a moment and gave a saddened sigh. "That's where Oroku Saki lives."

Donatello frowned as he noticed the sad faces on his friends. Then he noticed a swing out on a tree in the yard. "Why is there a swing?"

"A family we know used to live there." Yoshi sighed as he urged the children to continue walking. "A young man and his wife with their children… unfortunately, the young man had become scared when his third son had been kidnapped shortly after being born. He called upon his friend from his homeland; Oroku Saki, his adopted brother. His brother came and everything seemed to be fine for a time. Then one day, after the family had a fifth child, another young boy, a fire had started at the pre-school that the oldest two children were going to. The two were a set of twins. While the boy had managed to escape from the flames, his twin sister and the mother perished in the flames…"

"That's terrible…" Donatello whispered.

"Yes, and Oroku started to show his true colors towards the boys and the father. They were practically chased out of their own home, for fear of his temper."

"Oh my…"

"Do not worry, my student, the end is much happier. The father found an old subway station that had been abandoned in the sewers for years. He fixed it up so that he and his three sons could live there peacefully."

"That's good." Donatello smirked. The other boys had been quiet throughout the whole story but were now smiling at the end of it, though Leonardo was clutching his head again from passing by the house.

Michelangelo and Raphael suddenly raced ahead towards a manhole and lifted it up. "Last one in hatched from a rotten egg!" Michelangelo called as he jumped in.

"We aren't turtles, Mikey, no matter how much you wish you were one!" Raphael called as he followed suite.

Donatello's eyes widened as he realized who the story had been about. "The abandoned subway station in the sewers…! Your family… oh my gosh… no…!"

"I am afraid so, my young pupil. Oroku Saki had once been my best friend, raised as my brother from early childhood." Yoshi sighed as he remembered the day his wife had died, along with his daughter, and the day his best friend had started acting so hostile towards them. Leonardo kept silent as his eyes widened. He had noticed something. Yoshi noticed his eldest son's fearful look with concern. "What is it, my son?"

Leonardo looked up at his father and just shook his head. "Just another headache, father. Nothing to be concerned about." He then jumped into the sewer tunnels with Donatello and Yoshi right behind him, sealing off the tunnel. While the others were used to travelling through the sewers by now, Donatello was struggling to make his way. Leonardo grabbed the young boy's hand and led him through the system towards the subway station that was their home.

While Master Splinter started to make some tea and cookies, the four boys gathered in what was known as Michelangelo's room. Donatello was looking at the eldest with concern. "Are you okay, Leo?"

"I'm fine, Don. Just another headache. I get them a lot, especially when I near the old place." Leonardo just grimaced.

"Yeah, it's because he senses his twin, Miwa." Michelangelo grimaced.

Donatello frowned in confusion. 'Why is that name so familiar…?'

"Mikey!" Raphael grumbled. He did not want the new kid knowing about their powers just yet. They hadn't even told their other friends at school!

"Relax, Raph. Don's got a power too!"

"HUH?" The older boys were now confused.

"You mean you believe me, Mikey?"

"Well, DUH! I saw you do it! Nice work by the way."

"Heh, thanks."

"Saw him do what?" Raphael was getting impatient as usual.

"He used his big brain of his to move the principal's glass to spill onto him. Oh, and apparently, Master Saki can really dance!" Michelangelo started to mimic the principal's movements, making the boys chuckle slightly.

Leonardo then looked back at Donatello. "So you can move objects?"

"I think so. I'm sure I did."

"He did, he's just not used to the powers yet because he hasn't practiced with them." Michelangelo smiled. "Mom said he'll be pretty powerful if he practices enough."

"Of course she did." Raphael rolled his eyes.

Donatello looked at his friend with some confusion. 'Why is he so confident in my abilities?'

Raphael chuckled at Donatello's confusion. "Mikey's got this ability that lets him see our powers when they're in motion. He can also talk to ghosts… at least he says he can."

"NO, just mom's ghost."

"Same thing, really."

"So what can you two do then?" Donatello chuckled.

Leonardo bit his lip. "Um…"

"Raph can turn his anger into a super strength!" Michelangelo smiled, proud of his big brother's amazing ability. "And Leo can talk…"

" ** _Could_** talk to my twin sister, **_Miwa._** " Leonardo interjected. "Now I just get headaches."

Donatello's eyes widened as a memory came back to him. **_A couple of weeks after he had started going to the library and meeting with Karai, young Donatello, the four year old genius, had asked her a new kind of question. "Hey, Karai?"_**

 ** _"Yeah, Donatello?"_**

 ** _"You said that Karai was what your foster father called you, right?"_**

 ** _"Yes, so?"_**

 ** _"What did your real family call you?"_**

 ** _Karai looked at the boy with confusion. "Why do you want to know?"_**

 ** _"Well… I want to know so that I know more about you. Not what he wants to make you."_**

 ** _Karai smiled at his honesty. "My real name is Miwa… it means Harmony in Japanese."_**

Donatello shook his head, snapping out of his memory as his sensei brought the children some cookies and asked if they would all like some tea. Donatello quietly accepted the Jasmine tea with a polite "Thank you, Sensei." His mind was already racing at a hundred miles an hour once more. 'Is she the same Miwa? If so… that might explain why Mikey can only see his mother, and why both Karai and Leo have headaches! I can't say anything on it yet, but… oh man! I should have asked her last name! I should have asked where she lived! I could have brought her to meet my new friends!' The boys had started on a new subject now, and Donatello had barely caught what they were saying. "Treasures?"

"Photos of Mom," Raphael supplied as he chewed on a cookie. He had a grim expression on. "My pet turtle, Spike."

"My captain Ryan action figure that mom got me for Christmas one year." Leonardo put in.

"My kitty, Klunk… mom got him for me when I was two, just before she died…" Michelangelo said soberly. "He's probably starving or starved to death rather, at the house."

Donatello frowned. "Why don't you guys move away from here?"

Leonardo and the boys looked at each other and then to Donatello. "We couldn't abandon the other kids to Oroku Saki. They need us… and Master Splinter." Michelangelo explained. "Without Leo, no one would have any courage. Without Raph, no one would be willing to stand up for others. Without Father, none of the kids would make it through the first year of school!"

"Not to mention that without Mikey, none of them would know how to be optimistic." Raphael chuckled as he rubbed the younger boy's head, making him laugh.

Donatello smirked, wishing he had that kind of relationship with his brother, Michael. He knew it would never be, but he could still wish for a sibling bond. "You guys are pretty brave. Are you afraid of anything?"

Raphael grimaced. "Cockroaches."

"Failure." Leonardo said solemnly, making Raphael look at him funny.

"The Shredder… and the Chokey… and being alone…" Michelangelo kept shrinking himself down as he named off his fears until Leonardo placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

Donatello thought about this for a minute. "I wonder what the Shredder's afraid of…"


	22. Chapter 22

The Hamato family decided to walk Donatello home, but once more stopped in front of their old house. Donatello led them into the bushes to hide as they saw Oroku Saki placing things into the old car that Harry had sold him. Oroku was shoving old Olympics gear into the trunk of the car. The boys were naming the events off as they were placed in. "Shotput… hammer throw… javelin…"

Suddenly a black cat started meowing at Oroku, walking slowly towards him. Oroku started to shake uncontrollably. He started barking at the cat to try and scare it away.

Donatello was confused. "He's afraid of cats?" He whispered.

"Black cats, my pupil. Oroku Saki is very superstitious." Oroku eventually gave in and just kicked the cat!

The small cat was sent flying through the air, landing just in front of the Hamato family and Donatello. "Poor kitty…" Michelangelo whispered, wanting to care for the cat while hoping that his own had not suffered a similar fate. The cat ran off quickly.

"The cat is fine, my son." Yoshi reassured the young boy who nodded to show he understood.

"I guess you're right…"

"Shh!" Raphael pointed at the car as it started towards them. Leonardo led them deeper into the bushes to hide from the car. They were now closer to the house.

Donatello looked at the scared family beside him and frowned. "Let's go get your treasures!"

"No, Donatello!" Yoshi shook his head while the other boys looked at him with some awe.

"Well he's gone!" Donatello put his ninja speed to use and ran towards the house. "Come on!"

Michelangelo and the other boys were torn. They didn't want to get caught or in trouble, but Donatello was right about no one being in the house… "Donatello!" Yoshi called out again, hoping to discourage the usually obedient boy and make him come back.

"Master Splinter!" Donatello waived for them to follow.

Seeing no other choice but to follow, the four Hamatos followed the young genius into their old home. Little did they know that only a few blocks away, Oroku Saki's car had broken down, and he was in a foul mood.

Though the exterior of the house left something to be desired, the interior looked a little cleaner, but just barely. The boys all looked around in awe. "Our home…" Yoshi sighed. As he turned his head towards the living room he felt a sickening feeling in his stomach. "Oh my…" The boys followed their sensei into the large room and noticed the picture above the fireplace. It was a large portrait of Oroku Saki at the Olympics. "My wife's portrait used to hang there…"

"Whoever painted the Shredder must have had a strong stomach." Donatello muttered.

"A really strong stomach…" Raphael agreed.

"We should go…" Yoshi said in a sad voice.

It was at that point that Leonardo spotted something. "Mother's chocolate box!" The boys instantly crowded around it, save for Donatello and Yoshi.

"I can't believe it's still here!" Raphael whispered in shock. He gently lifted up the lid, showing the multiple chocolates that were kept in it. "Every night after supper, Ma would grab two chocolates and cut them into small pieces for all of us to share. Even a small piece for Mikey when he could barely chew!"

"After mother died, no one would dare touch the box… save for Oroku Saki…" Leonardo grumbled. "He'd mainly do it on nights when father wasn't home and say that Chocolate was too good for kids before shoving it into his mouth. He was usually gone for the most part of the day though, thank goodness."

Donatello looked at the others with a grimace. "Why don't you take one?"

"He'll notice… he counts them." Michelangelo grumbled from what little he could remember.

Donatello then remembered the real reason for going into the lion's den. "Where are your treasures?"

"They'd be upstairs…" Leonardo muttered, carefully placing the lid back on the chocolate box, unaware of a small bit of school dirt that was left on the box now.

Donatello nodded once more and ran. He made his way towards the stairs where he stopped just barely out of the family's sight. He waited for the Hamatos to come around, which just happened to be Michelangelo, and startled him. "HA!"

"WHA!" causing all the Hamato to laugh as they continued up the stairs. "Donnie!"

They were unaware of Oroku Saki managing to drag the broken car into the driveway. They made their way to the room that the four Hamato children had shared in their time at the house. They were surprised to find the room was clean and there were drawings all over the place, as well as pictures of Teng Shen sitting on the side.

"What is this?" Yoshi asked in confusion. "Oroku Saki would not bother to clean up a child's room…"

"Meow?" The group froze in confusion. Michelangelo's eyes widened as he turned towards the sound. An orange cat with big green eyes was looking at him. "Meow." The cat jumped onto Michelangelo, who caught him easily.

"Klunk?" The cat seemed to smile as it purred into his chest. "Klunk!"

"I don't believe it!" Raphael whispered as he looked at the cat. Then he looked at where he would have kept Spike's cage. "I don't believe it!" Raphael ran over to the tank where Spike was eating his leaf. "Spike!" The tortoise was as healthy as ever! There was a note stuck to the cage that said "Need to get more treats for Spike." The handwriting was familiar, but he couldn't place it. "How ya doing Spike?" The tortoise just looked at Raphael with a smile. "Chew your leaf if you're okay." Spike chewed on his leaf happily. "Heh."

Leonardo found himself distracted by his Captain Ryan action figure lying on a bed next to an old Japanese doll that had her hair brushed out into a bun while wearing a clean kimono. 'This is Lissy Doll! And Captain Ryan! They're both fine?' Just as he was about to touch the action figure and the doll for closer examination, the Hamatos and Donatello heard a shout.

"WORMWOOD!" They froze. Michelangelo put Klunk down, who knew to run under the beds to hide while Spike ducked into his shell. Donatello slipped a scrap piece of paper into a science book for studying and prayed that it would get to who he wanted it to get to, and soon. The group slowly walked towards the stairs as they heard Oroku Saki shouting at Harry Wormwood over the phone. He was not being kind at all, and Donatello just wished that Harry had listened to him when he tried to convince him to sell good cars. Suddenly the Shredder stopped and hung up the phone. He started to make his way towards the parlor where the chocolate box was.

"Time to go." Master Splinter signaled to his young pupils silently. They nodded. They tried to hide behind some of the columns.

"Shouldn't we hide or something?" Michelangelo whispered as quietly as he could. He was lucky that Oroku Saki wasn't that good at listening.

"Agreed. You children head towards that way and escape down the stairs through the kitchen. I'll distract Oroku. He's not as good as he'd like to believe." The boys nodded and followed their sensei's orders while Yoshi went the other way.

"WHO'S IN MY HOUSE?" Oroku asked as he stomped up the stairs. He started to make his way towards where the children were trying to sneak down stairs, "Come Out and Fight like a Man!"

Donatello was the last to slip away into the hidden stairwell that was filled with clutter, just barely avoiding getting caught by the Shredder. Oroku was about to enter the stairwell himself when a large sound came from the room where his gym equipment were stored. It was Yoshi, dropping a shotput on purpose to distract Oroku from his students! Yoshi quickly hid himself into a closet. It was at that time that a mop decided to fall upon the boys, sounding off that they were downstairs!

Oroku skidded to a stop just before the room that Yoshi was hiding in and looked towards where he thought the sound was. Then he heard the locked door of the kitchen. He had boarded up that door ages ago! Someone was trying to get out that way? Foolish! He knew where they were now! Oroku ran to the banister and leapt over it, landing solid on the ground, shaking the entire house! "Tally Ho!"

Yoshi ran out of the closet, seeing the metal man do this and gasped as the chandeliers in the house fell and broke on the floor. Donatello looked around, trying to figure out where he and the brothers could hide. They were still trapped in the kitchen! He looked to Raphael and Leonardo and gave a silent nod, indicating that he had an idea. He grabbed Michelangelo and the two went under the table while the elder two squeezed themselves into the pantry and cupboards, hoping to not be discovered.

When Oroku came in, he found no one in the kitchen, though he had been sure that that was where they had been! Oroku looked around silently, opening every other cupboard, completely missing Raphael as he managed to move through the broken cupboards to ones that had already been checked with the silence of a great ninja. When the pantry was checked, Leonardo had himself hidden in the darkest shadows behind a large bag of flour. Oroku didn't see him. When he checked under the table, the two older boys were worried that Donatello and Michelangelo would surely be caught! Donatello wasn't going to give in so easily though. He grabbed the four legs and held himself between them after making sure Michelangelo was secure and silent. He had Michelangelo squeezed between himself and the table top, but the smaller boy still had room to breathe, though he barely did so. The two were grateful that the headmaster didn't look up from under the table, but Donatello's grip was slowly starting to slip.

Yoshi had managed to see the boy's hand from under the tablecloth and came up with an idea instantly. He rushed to the front door, opened it and slammed it close again, causing Oroku to stop looking in the kitchen and run towards the front door! Yoshi ran up the stairs and back down the secret stairs to the kitchen as the boys got out of their hiding places. Oroku suddenly went upstairs and the boys were startled as Splinter came down the secret ones and led them through the basement. Unfortunately, the basement doors were locked with a hard lock as well. They were trapped again!

Donatello looked around for an exit and pointed out a small window that would barely fit them all. Donatello made certain that he was last before their sensei as they made their escape through the window. Yoshi barely made it out as Oroku said, "Some rats are going to die today!" Oroku then noticed the small window shutting and made his way over to where the chained doors were. He growled as he tore the chains off with his metal hands. It sounded like an explosion as the doors to the cellar burst open for the first time in years, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake. The Hamatos and Donatello poured on the speed as they ran to the untamed plants to hide. Oroku had yet to see them, but he was slashing at all the plants in the area until he smashed a bird statue and yelled in anger. He then trudged back to his home, believing his foes to have fled. Had he gone a few feet further, he would have found a terrified Donatello covering a horrified Michelangelo while the other three were nearby. Donatello moved away from Michelangelo, giving the boy more room to move as he tried to slow his heart rate down.

"Feel my heart." Michelangelo whispered. "Wasn't that the most scared you've ever been in your life?" The brothers and Donatello nodded while Splinter kept his gaze on the door, refusing to move till he was certain that the Shredder was in the house and unable to see them move.

"Let us go, my pupils."

Donatello's mind was racing though. "He shouldn't be allowed to treat people like that."

"Trust us, we know." Leonardo had managed to keep his voice steady as usual.

"Someone's gotta teach him a lesson."

Raphael agreed to this one. "If we could, we would."

"We can wait till he leaves again and then get your things." The Hamatos all looked at him like he was crazy. "Or not."

"Donatello." The young boy looked to his sensei as they made their way to the sidewalk and out of the danger zone. "Promise me you shall never step foot in Oroku Saki's house, ever again."

Donatello pursed his lips. Then he sighed and nodded. "Yes, Master Splinter." Donatello was a boy of his word. He wouldn't go into the Shredder's house again, but the house didn't really belong to the Shredder, it belonged to the Hamato clan.

"Good, now, let us take our leave." The four boys started following their sensei towards where Donatello lived so they could drop him off. Donatello looked back though, hoping his message would be received by the right person.


	23. Chapter 23

When Karai arrived home, she instantly made her way to her room, ignoring her foster father's rants about intruders in the house. She sighed as she petted the orange cat that had come out of hiding to greet her, and fed the tortoise some new leaves and treats. She sat down on her bed and noticed her science book had something sticking out of it. She cautiously opened it and gasped as she found it was a note.

 ** _"_** ** _Dear Karai/Miwa,_**

 ** _It's me, Donatello._** ** _Hope this finds you well. You aren't going to believe this, but if your last name is Hamato, then you're not an orphan, you're a prisoner. My Sensei is Hamato Yoshi, and my best friends are his sons. They think you are dead though. Remember how you have headaches? My friend, Hamato Leonardo, also has headaches when he comes near the house. I think he senses you are still alive. If your special ability is to contact him with your mind, try concentrating really hard on him while meditating. Michelangelo told me about your abilities. Raphael was really happy to see Spike was okay, and Michelangelo was happy to find Klunk was fine. I'm writing this as quickly as I can while the others are distracted while looking at their treasures. I promise, I'll figure out a way for everything to get better. Stay safe,_**

 ** _Sincerely Donatello."_**

Miwa placed a hand to her mouth as she looked to the two pets in the room. Her family had broken into the lion's den, and they thought she was dead? Oroku had lied to them all? But why? She looked at the note again. The fact that Donatello had named all of her family, though she had never said their names was further proof that he wasn't lying. 'Donatello… you crazy boy…' She smiled kindly to the paper and hugged it. She only needed to do one final thing to see if he was correct.

She tore up the paper and put it into the pile of scrap paper that would line Spike's cage when she cleaned it again. Miwa then sat herself down and meditated, concentrating on her twin for the first time since the fire. 'Leonardo? Are you there?'

Deep in the sewers, hidden away in his room in the abandoned subway station, a young boy's eyes opened wide with shock during his nightly meditation. 'Miwa?' He closed his eyes again, trying to connect to the source. 'Miwa, is that you?'

The two found themselves on an astral plane where there was nothing but a starry sky surrounding them. "Leo!" Miwa cried as she ran towards her brother's spectral image. Leonardo was shocked as his long lost sister ran to hug him. He held his twin gently as she cried into his shoulder. "I thought you were dead!"

"Miwa? I… I thought…" He shook his head as he looked at his sister, grown up and looking like their mother, but with a different hairstyle. "I… how?"

She smirked as she stood back and looked at her twin. He looked like his father, but slightly shorter. "You should keep a better eye on Donnie, heh. He left a note for me to find."

"What? Where?"

"You mean, you don't know where I am?"

"No, of course not! Do you think I'd still think you were dead if I did?" His own eyes were filled with tears at this point.

"Ah, Leo." Miwa grimaced as she wiped her brother's tears away. They were about the same height now. "Are you all safe? Mikey, Raph, father? Are they okay?"

"They still think you're dead, and we're living in an old subway station. We're fine. What about you? Where are you?"

Miwa wanted to tell him, but was certain that he'd just go get himself in trouble. "I'm in foster care." Was all she could say. "I'll come back, I promise. Just wait for me."

"Should I tell the others that you're okay?" Leonardo knew his sister wanted to protect them and that was the only reason she wasn't saying where she was.

Miwa thought about it and sighed. "Not father, not yet. The others though, yes. I'll come back when I can. I'll find you. I promise." She hugged her twin tightly, able to feel him as though they weren't in the astral planes, but in reality. "Tell Donatello that I said thanks. I'm just glad you guys are okay. I gotta go."

"Can we talk again?" Leonardo asked slightly desperate.

"Now that we both know that we're alive, we can go around with less headaches, heh. We'll be able to control our thoughts better and know that we're trying to communicate. Don't worry about me, Leo." She let go of her brother and smiled. "I'll meditate again later when I need to talk to you." She winked. "You'll get a headache if you ignore me."

"Same, sis. Oh, and warning, I meditate during one of my classes, so that might send off a signal."

"Not a problem." The two gave each other one last hug as they started to fade. "Take care of the others, bro."

"Take care of yourself, sis."

Miwa smiled as she hugged both her Japanese doll that her mother had given her, and her twin's Captain Ryan toy. 'They're safe!'

Leonardo smiled as he woke up from his own meditation with some tears in his eyes. He looked over to his door where Michelangelo was waiting with an annoyed Raphael. "Mikey here says ma told him you had some news for us, but we couldn't tell dad. He pulling my leg or what?"

Leonardo laughed and indicated for the two to come in and close the door. He had big news to tell them. "You aren't going to believe this one, guys."


	24. Chapter 24

When Donatello arrived home, he was not surprised that his mother, ever the gullible, was entertaining the two cops that were pretending to be powerboat salesmen. They had her in the palm of their hands, talking about anything they needed. He was surprised that his mother even noticed him returning home. "Donatello, this is Bob, and Bill." She indicated to the two men on either side of her while Donatello rolled his eyes.

'Might as well say the obvious. Maybe they'll go away and I can practice trying to harness that strange ability I have.' He looked over to the woman who was as happy as a clam to have company over for once. "They're cops, mother." He said as calmly as he could while he headed towards his room.

The two FBI agents were surprised that they had been found out by the youngest member of the household, who had no records for belonging in the family at all. Zinnia however, was not happy at the accusation. "They are not cops, they are Ace Powerboat Salesman!" She showed the model of the boat to the boy, as though that would convince him.

It was just luck that at that moment, Harry entered the house. "Babyface, I'm starved!" Everyone turned towards him as he entered with a shocked look on his face. Both he and his wife had failed to notice the recorder in Bob's hand.

"Hi, Harry." Zinnia said nervously as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

"Who are you?" Harry asked the two cops, unknowing of whether they were cops or not. "What is this, a Hot tub party?" He started ranting as the cops grabbed their props and coats to leave, knowing that they could get no more with trouble like Harry in the house. He made a comment about his wife entertaining a couple of surfer dude body builders.

Donatello turned to his foster parents and made the same comment he made to the mother. "They're cops, dad."

Bob tried to save face by asking a stupid question, "You interested in time share?" The door was promptly slammed on his face.

The two adults then started arguing about Zinnia being isolated and not being allowed to talk to people. Donatello just shook his head and went to his room. He started trying to concentrate his powers on the door, hoping to find the answer to his powers. He found the door started to move, but not completely.

Then he had an idea. "Dad." He called out.

"What do you want?" Harry was furious.

"Yell at me, okay?" which sounded like he was trying to defend his mother.

"Shut up and leave us alone!" This time the door moved more.

"Yell at me again!"

"Yell at you? I'll come in there and pound your miserable hide! What do I have to do to get some respect around here?" He stormed towards the boy's door and was about to enter when it shut of its own accord and locked itself. Donatello smiled as he realized he had figured out a solution to his powers, righteous fury.


	25. Chapter 25

No child likes to get yelled at, but it was precisely Harry's ranting and raving that gave Donatello the key to his powers. To unlock that power, all he needed to do was practice. Donatello wasted no time in doing this. Over the next few days he started to practice more and more. He started out small with one piece of cereal and eventually moved onto the whole box. When he got stuck he would remember all the insults from his family and from the Shredder. He would also remember that he had been correct about Karai being a Hamato. Leonardo had told him Karai's message the next day at school, though he still didn't know how Donatello had helped. Donatello had been so happy then about being right, but he was furious at the Shredder for keeping the girl prisoner and making her family think she was dead, as well as convincing her that her family was dead as well.

The cereal box lifted up and poured a generous amount of cheerios. He grinned as his powers also poured in a good amount of milk and placed the spoon in the bowl. He had the hang of it now. He smiled as the spoon flew up out of the cereal and fed him without effort. He was very happy.

That day was a short day at school, so Donatello arrived home earlier than anyone else and decided to use it to his advantage. He turned on his favorite song on the radio and made the entire living room dance with him, from his father's poker set to the lamps and chairs. When the song was over, he put everything away back to normal with his powers and opened the curtains for some light. What he saw outside though annoyed him.

The two FBI agents were snooping around. True, he was positive that this wasn't his real family, but it was his home. 'Maybe I can stall and give Harry enough time to fix his act. If he doesn't do it on his own, The Shredder might just do it for him because of that car…' Donatello sighed as he made his way outside to the garage where the two were talking.

The smarter of them was talking to the other like he was an idiot. They were talking about the camera that they had used to film Harry's dirty dealings. Donatello used his powers to move a box they were after away from them while they were distracted. The box was on a high shelf, and Donatello was still standing outside of the garage. He smirked when the smart one climbed up the ladder and noticed the box was on the other side of the shelf. He climbed back down and moved the ladder as Donatello moved the box again.

Donatello decided to make his presence known then. "You two men are going to be in a lot of trouble very soon." Donatello had on his serious face, and was wearing his normal outfit of a button up purple shirt and slacks.

"It's the unexplained minor." One of them muttered to the other. Donatello just rolled his eyes as they came closer to him.

"Aren't you supposed to be in school young man?"

Donatello shook his head. "PLC day. I really hope you two have a search warrant for this. According to a constitutional law book I read in the library last year, if you don't have one, you could lose your jobs or even go to federal prison."

The two men looked at each other with confusion. How did this child who had no records read a book that should be difficult for people even in early college? The smart one shrugged it off. "It's your father who's going to federal prison. And you know where you'll end up?"

The other decided to put in his two cents, not that Donatello was interested in their foolishness. "In a federal orphanage."

"You cooperate, we'll make sure it's a nice orphanage."

"The kind with food, and teeny weeny cockroaches."

"What do you say?"

Donatello rolled his eyes once more, landed his gaze on their car across the street, mentally picturing the brakes turning off. "There's another crime in the making." Donatello pointed to their car. "Your car is about to run a stop sign." The two turned and noticed to their surprise that he was right! As they ran to get their car, Donatello's power pulled the tape out of the video camera and made it fly over to him. He grabbed, closed the garage door, and made his way back inside where he disposed of the tape in the garbage can.


	26. Chapter 26

So he bought a little time for his dad to come to his sense, but now Donatello had bigger fish to fry, much bigger. Donatello took a deep breath as he finished zipping up his jacket and straightening his favorite purple scarf around his neck. He then looked at his backpack as it flew to him. It was now almost effortless for him to use his powers. He made his way past his parents, not that they were paying attention to him. Michael on the other hand had noticed him.

"Hey, toothless, where are you going?"

"Out." Michael didn't bother him anymore. Donatello continued heading towards the door with a calm seriousness that was becoming of a ninja.

"Hey toothless! Have a carrot!" Michael brought a carrot from his TV dinner and used his spoon to catapult it towards the young boy's head.

Donatello turned around and the carrot froze just before hitting him. Michael's eyes widened in shock. Then the carrot flipped around and zoomed back to its owner, and into the boy's open mouth.

Donatello made his way over to Oroku Saki's house. The night was windy and dark, perfect for a haunting. Having power isn't nearly as important as what you choose to do with it, and what Donatello had in mind, was nothing short of heroic.

Donatello made his way towards the house and noticed two of the rooms had lights on, the upstairs light where the room for the Hamato children had been, and one in the downstairs that was just a few dim lights and the fireplace. In the downstairs, The Shredder was busy stuffing his face with chocolates while sharpening his claws.

Donatello shuddered. He took a deep breath and started climbing up the side of the old garden shed, which happened to align with the room where he saw Karai, or Hamato Miwa as he now knew her to be, was reading. He smirked. Tonight he was going to not only cause trouble for Oroku Saki, he was also going to reclaim the Hamato clan's most prized treasures, and that included the daughter of Hamato Yoshi. He sat himself carefully on the shed so as not to be blown off. The first thing to do was to move the picture of Teng Shen out of the way so he could get a clear view of Miwa and the other treasures.

Miwa looked up from her book with shock as she heard the portrait moving, as well as saw it. "Mother?" If she had had the same ability as Michelangelo, she would have seen her mother waiting by the window, eagerly awaiting to help Donatello with his tricks should he need it.

Donatello was doing this all on his own so far. The first thing to do was to move Captain Ryan, as he wanted to test how much power he needed against the wind, and the other three were live creatures. Miwa watched as the action figure of her twin lifted up into the air and floated towards the window. Donatello smirked as he realized that he had caught the young lady's attention. The window opened and then closed behind the toy. Donatello was glad that he had chosen the toy first, on account that it flew into the tree nearby! Miwa opened the window and watched in amazement as the toy flew from the tree over to Donatello with his gentle coaxing, as though it was alive! Donatello grabbed the toy out of thin air and gently placed it into his bag before smiling back to his oldest friend.

Miwa laughed as she ran to stuff her backpack full of things, including her own doll, Lissy Doll, that her mother had given her. She then grabbed Klunk and placed him close to the window so whatever Donatello was doing would be slightly easier for him. He nodded his appreciation as his powers enveloped the cat and brought the orange tabby to him. The cat purred as it reached the boy, recognizing him as a friend of his humans. Donatello was about to try and bring Spike over when Miwa grabbed the tortoise and jumped out the window, bounced off the tree, and landed right next to the boy she considered her adoptive brother.

"I hope you weren't planning on leaving me behind, because I want to go back to my real family!" Miwa smiled as she hugged the boy.

"Like I would do that to you, Miwa. Now, can you hang onto Spike and Klunk? I've got a few more things to do." The purple clad ninja smiled mischievously.

"Oh boy, hehe, this I can't wait to see. Who got on your bad side this time, and will it be as good as that time in the restaurant or no?"

"Even better, and it's gonna be Master Oroku. By the way, thanks for not freaking out about my powers."

"Eh, my brother Raphael turns his anger into strength, and my brother Leonardo can literally talk to me when we want to without being in the same area."

"Heh, and Mikey can talk to your mom."

"Really?"

"Yep, I believe him at least. Now, let's cause trouble." The two jumped down gently from the shed with the grace of ninjas. Donatello's purple scarf unknowingly slipped off and was stuck on a branch that had clung to the shed though. When the two were down on the ground with the animals and toys, Donatello led Miwa over to where the two of them could get a good view of Oroku Saki. He was throwing javelins at the wall and then retrieving them. "Watch this." Donatello nodded his head, and instantly a set of six chocolates flew up out of Teng Shen's chocolate box. Both he, and Miwa grinned at this. The chocolates flew over to the window they were at. The window opened and then closed again as soon as the sweets were outside and in the children's hands.

"Oh man, that is so cool." She whispered as they ducked back down, for the shutting of the window had made a noise. The two were grateful that Oroku didn't look down when he investigated and just thought that something had hit the window in the wind.

Oroku put the javelin away and started sipping at his tea. "That's nothing, watch this. Mr. Superstitious is about to get the haunting of a lifetime."

The two chuckled as Donatello made the clock chime 9. Oroku looked at it puzzled and attempted to sit down, only for Donatello to move the chair back and Oroku fall to the floor. As Oroku climbed into the chair, thinking it was just an accident that made him miss the seat, Donatello changed time again. This time for 10 at night. Oroku started losing his temper with the darn thing, figuring it was broken. He grabbed the clock and shook it.

Donatello smirked as he looked up towards the powerlines that connected to the house. He shook them with his mind as the tortoise and cat looked with interest as well. The lights in the house flickered, startling the metallic warrior. The windows opened all around the room, making paper fly everywhere. "Leave me alone!" The Shredder shouted with fear in his voice as he unleashed his claws.

Donatello wasn't done yet though. He grinned as his mind picked up the picture of the Shredder from the mantle and threw it into the fire. Miwa smiled as she commented, "Finally in its proper place. What next?"

"Time to return something else to its proper place."

Oroku was crying out with fear as the picture went up in green flames. He wandered out of the children's line of sight for a moment to investigate some thumping caused by the shotputs falling down the stairs. He looked up and nearly shrieked at what he saw next. "Teng Shen!" The portrait of Teng Shen indeed was flying down the balcony from the room it had been staying in, and flew just barely over head of the madman. It hit the chandelier by accident as it spun to hang in its proper place above the mantle. This was when Teng Shen's spirit decided to join in on the fun. She inhabited the picture and made her eyes glare at Oroku with confident eyes, not that the children knew she was doing this. Donatello had made the clock turn time once more as it struck the most feared hour of all, Midnight! The Witching Hour! Oroku started to flee while the children ran off to finish the escape/rescue.

Unbeknownst to them, Oroku stopped being scared when a certain purple scarf got caught on his car. He knew this scarf! With someone to blame, and hit, he was no longer afraid and went back inside with the purple fabric in hand. 'That boy is dead meat.'


	27. Chapter 27

"So now what, Donnie?" Miwa asked once the two were sure they were safe enough away from the house.

Donatello smirked. "I'll bring you to this place I used to hide at when I was little. I found it by accident, and it looks like no one ever uses it." The two made their way over to an old train station near the school that Donatello went to. "That's the school where your father teaches, and where Oroku Saki terrorizes students."

"He does?"

"Let me guess, he doesn't abuse you?"

"No… I think it's cuz I remind him of my mother. I'm told I look and act like her."

Donatello nodded. "While I never knew your mom, I did see the picture, and I can say that you do indeed look like her, Miwa." Donatello smirked. "But if you act like your mom, then so do your brothers, heh."

Miwa smiled. "Thanks. He's going to figure it out though. That I'm missing, and that someone pulled off all that. He might not know it's you, but he'll still have an idea."

"Oh, he'll know it was me." Donatello scowled as he realized something. "My scarf is gone." He looked in the distance towards the house. "He'll no doubt have found it."

"He'll kill you." Miwa's eyes widened with fear.

"No… he'll try to though." Donatello sighed as he handed the girl one of the chocolates. "Here, I'll give the rest to the others."

"Take one yourself, you grabbed an extra."

"Thanks." Donatello smirked as the two unwrapped their chocolates. "I'll be fine though. After school, I'll bring the others over here so they can pick you and the animals up."

"Actually, I have a plan."

"Oh?"

"You aren't the only one who can think of these things." The two made their way over to the school. "Which room does Raphael have his first class in?" Donatello laughed and opened the window with his mind. "Sweet, let's go, Spike!"

The two made their way up with their ninja skills and into the room. They then placed the tortoise container in Raphael's cubby space. "Raph's gonna so freak out when he gets here tomorrow."

"Alright, how about Leo? We can leave Captain Ryan in his cubby too." Donatello nodded and the two made their way to Leonardo's classroom. They placed the captain in the cubby, making him salute. "Alright, now what about Klunk?"

"Since Mikey's in my room, I don't think it'd be best for him to wait in the room with us. Master Oroku, or as we call him, The Shredder, will be coming to try and pummel me tomorrow."

"Jeez, you know this and you still…"

"I do have a plan."

"Gonna let me in on it?"

"Nah, but I will need some help on some facts."

"Like what?" The two climbed out of the school after agreeing to leave Klunk in a secret compartment in the classroom.

"What did your mom call Master Oroku?"

Miwa closed her eyes as they landed on the ground. "She… she called him Oroku, just like Father would. Oroku's his first name, but some people think it's his last name."

"Huh, well that's useful. What did he call her?"

"He called her Teng Shen. It was her full first name."

"Alright, now what did she call your father?"

"You know you're asking a lot of weird questions."

"Trust me, they'll be really useful for me tomorrow."

"Alright, she called him her Artistic Ninja, and my brothers were her little artists."

"What did she call you?"

"Her piece of harmony."

"Huh, makes sense." Donatello nodded. Donatello set up an area in the abandoned train station for the girl to sleep. "You didn't happen to grab something for me to give to your father, did you?"

"As a matter of fact, I did." She pulled out an old picture. It was of Master Yoshi and Teng Shen when they were dating. "I take it this is how you're going to warn him?"

"Gotta give him something other than chocolate." Donatello winked. Then he realized something. "You're going to try and save me, aren't you?"

"Yep."

"Of course. Wait until after the first bell before you come into the room, or you'll ruin our chance of scaring the Shredder away for good."

"Hey, I'm a better ninja than him. They won't know I'm there till you need me to be." The two shook hands after Miwa handed over the photo. "Deal?"

"Deal. Goodnight, Hamato Miwa."

"Goodnight, Donatello. I'm not calling you a Wormwood though."

"Hehe, thanks. I don't think they're my real family anyway."

"We'll find out who is after the Shredder is dealt with."

"Thanks."


	28. Chapter 28

Donatello grinned as he got off the bus that morning, just in time to catch the Hamato family. "Master Splinter, guys!" Donatello practically leaped off the bus as the four Hamato turned around to greet the excited purple ninja. "You guys will never believe what I happened last night!"

Splinter smirked as the child ran up to them. "What happened, my pupil?"

Donatello brought out four chocolates and handed them each one. It didn't take a mind reader to realize these were from Teng Shen's chocolate box. Donatello also handed his sensei a photograph. "A friend of mine helped me get this for you." The boys looked over at the picture in their father's hands with wide eyes.

"Donatello?" Yoshi was confused and concerned. Had his student disobeyed him? Where had he even found this picture? Surely it would have been destroyed by Oroku Saki, wouldn't it?

Suddenly the familiar sound of a car that was about to die came up. Donatello turned to the other three boys. "Spike and Captain Ryan are waiting in your class rooms, Klunk is safe and hidden, as is my accomplice. Go on, hurry!" Leonardo and Raphael were shocked. They looked to each other, nodded, and then ran off to see if what the boy said was true before something worse happened. Splinter looked at the boy with shock as well as he shoved the picture into his pocket, along with his chocolate. Michelangelo would have been grinning if not for knowing how much danger his friend was in for pulling this off.

Oroku Saki walked casually out of the car, no yelling, no scolding, no nothing! He walked over to Hamato Yoshi, Hamato Michelangelo, and Donatello Wormwood as though nothing had happened last night, only confirming Donatello's suspicions on being discovered. "I will be teaching your class today." He said to Yoshi in the calmest voice Yoshi had heard from the man in a long time, meaning more trouble than he had ever dealt with. Oroku looked at Donatello, who was without his usual purple scarf, only further confirming his own theory as to who had been at the house that night. Oroku then walked away, calm as a cucumber.

In the time it took Yoshi to get very worried, Donatello was already ironing out some of the finer points in his plan.


	29. Chapter 29

"He is really quite angry." Yoshi muttered as he started to put away all the art supplies in the room. Michelangelo was reconfirming what Donatello had learned from Miwa last night, with the help of his mother's ghost. "I'm sure he knows the animals are missing, as well as the toy."

Michelangelo looked to his mother's ghost who was casually sitting on the side of Yoshi's desk while her husband was busy trying to make the room look like Oroku's standards. She shook her head and smiled. "Do not worry, Donatello's plan shall have my help on some parts. It's going to be quite fun." Teng Shen promised her son, who related the message to Donatello.

Donatello grimaced. "If she's all for helping me, that will make it go a lot easier. Oh, and my friend, Karai, is gonna show up to help later on."

"So we get to meet the infamous Karai?" Michelangelo smirked.

"Well… she actually hates that name, it's not her real one."

"What's her real name then?"

Donatello grinned like Michelangelo when he was about to pull a prank. "Miwa."

Michelangelo's eyes widened. He looked to his father, who was too distracted to know what had been said. Then he looked to his mother, who simply nodded. "Dude… you really are up for scaring the living daylights out of Master Splinter, aren't you?"

"Heh, nope, just the Shredder."

Yoshi sat down, trying to think, after he had filled a pitcher with water for the Headmaster. "Maybe I can figure out a way to return the animals and toy while he's still here at the school." Then he shook his head. "Ack, no, I can't leave the students that long…"

"Calm down, Master Yoshi. It's going to be okay, I promise." Donatello smiled as he made his way to his sensei's desk.

"Donatello, you promised you wouldn't step foot in that house again." He reminded the boy.

Donatello's smile got wider and cockier, showing the gap between his teeth. "I didn't. I was on the roof of the garden shed. I used my powers… and a little help from a friend of mine."

"Right, powers and friend who would be foolish enough to journey into the lion's den to get these things…" Yoshi put his hands to his head, trying to think of a solution. "I need to think…"

Donatello sighed, smirked, and then used his powers to lift up the water jug next to his sensei. Michelangelo's eyes widened as he looked from his best friend to his mother's ghost. Teng Shen merely smiled as she walked over towards a window to show she wasn't helping this time. Yoshi was so busy worrying that he just put a hand over the jug to lower it without thinking about the fact that it was even floating! Michelangelo and Donatello both stifled their laughter. Donatello made it float again to see if his sensei would notice this time.

This time, Hamato Yoshi noticed! He looked at the jug in front of him, and then back to his pupil. "Powers?" He whispered as Donatello nodded to confirm it. Yoshi waived a hand under it quickly to see if it was a trick, much to the amusement of the children.

"I think I got them down." Donatello smiled. "Watch this." He turned and pointed at the remaining art that needed to be put away. All the things that hid the colors and crafts came up or down as needed. "No more Mr. Nice Boy." Donatello smirked.

Yoshi didn't know what to think. Michelangelo suddenly felt a shiver. "He's coming!" Yoshi grabbed the handle of the floating jug to make it not seem like it was floating.

The yelling of the headmaster only confirmed it. "Against the wall, all of you! Don't make me wait!" The entire class ran in and over to the wall after putting their things in their cubbies. He then pulled in two more students, which surprised the three already in the room. He had pulled in Leonardo and Raphael!

"Headmaster, Leonardo and Raphael need to go back to their classes. They are no longer…"

"They will be in here. I have an important lesson that I think they need be a part of." Oroku growled. "Water." He grabbed the pitcher and glass and poured a cup full. "And hold the newt." He was satisfied that there was no newt this time. "Thank you." He took a sip. Then he glared at the last two children; Donatello and Michelangelo. "Join the ranks." The two ran over to where the older Hamato children were. "I am here to teach you all a lesson." Oroku pushed forward a large number of the desks in the room. They smashed with a loud crash on the other end of the room. Children gasped.

"We're dead." Raphael muttered.

"No, but Donatello might be." Leonardo responded with equal silence.

"Nope. My man Don has a plan." Michelangelo whispered optimistically. "Right, Donnie?"

"Patience on this, Mikey. I gotta wait for the right moment." Donatello nodded.

The headmaster continued his rant though as he pushed the remainder of the desks in the same manner. He was ranting on about problems making character. "Form a line across the room, quickly! Don't leave any spaces!" The children took only a few seconds to do as told. The Hamato children still standing protectively together. Donatello stood in between the Hamatos and April. "I suspect you're wondering what I'm talking about?" Oroku was back to using his sickly sweet voice. "Yes." The tone changed. "A child came to my house. I don't know how, I don't know when, I don't know why…"

Yoshi tried to intervene before Donatello was caught, unknowing that the boy was already singled out, and both prey and predator already knew it. The question that was still unanswered at the moment though… was who was the prey… and who was the hunter?

Yoshi was quickly silenced with an extension of the claws, and the teacher resumed his seat, praying that whatever Donatello had planned would work. "I know a child came." Yoshi looked to Donatello with fear, only to find Donatello not looking the least bit scared. "So, did you know that it was illegal to enter someone's home without their permission?"

"Yes, Master Oroku" The class chorused.

Raphael, ever the rebellious, added in a "Sir" for good measure.

Oroku glared at him and then shouted, "Stand up straight, shoulders back, stomach in!" The he himself returned to his own vulture like posture. "Do any of you recognize this?" He pulled out Donatello's signature purple scarf. The boy in question merely pushed his glasses back up his face and returned to position while other students were worried for him. They would never rat out another, not to the Shredder at least. "Let's play a game shall we?" He started pacing towards Donatello. "Who was wearing a comfy purple scarf…" He tugged on it to show it off better, right in front of Donatello, who continued to stare ahead fearlessly. "… yesterday, and isn't wearing one today? Can you answer me that?" He said in a disgustingly sweet voice before throwing it to the ground, stomping and spitting on it. "Who does this disgusting scarf belong to?" He growled. "I shall personally see to it that the demented, drooling, slime breathe, little Lilliputian who owns this disgusting scarf, will never see the light of day again." He then glared at Donatello. "YOU!"

Donatello merely looked at the madman while keeping his peripheral sight on a shadowy figure who was waiting outside the door. Miwa was waiting for her moment. Much to her and the children's surprise, Yoshi stepped forward to try and shield his pupil from harm. "Master Oroku, I was the one at your house yesterday. I know I… Ooh!" The shredder had grabbed their beloved sensei in a vice grip around his wrist and started turning it uncomfortably.

"I broke your arm once before, Yoshi, I can do it again!" Oroku threatened.

Yoshi looked to the fear on his pupils' faces and then back at the headmaster. He pulled his hand away with the speed of a great ninja. "We are not children anymore, Oroku- Otouto*!" The children gasped as their teacher admitted to being the older brother of their headmaster!

"Shut your holes!" Oroku yelled at the children, surprised that Yoshi would dare to call him that still. He then grabbed Donatello and lifted the boy up by the throat. "You shall be put away in a place where not even the crows can land their droppings on you!" Donatello was struggling for air when something in the colors of black and yellow kicked the Shredder, making Donatello fall. "WHO DARES!" Shredder growled as he got up. The entire class, the Hamatos included, were shocked to see a girl as tall and old as Leonardo standing between the Shredder, and Donatello. "YOU!"

"I thought you were supposed to be an educator, Oroku. NOT a dictator." Her honey brown eyes turn towards Donatello who picks himself up. "You okay, Don?"

"I'm fine." He then looks at the chalkboard to start his plan.

"How dare you betray me! After all I've done for you!" Shredder growled as he started walking towards Miwa. Leonardo got out of line, much to the surprise of the children, and stood defensively in front of the girl.

"Don't come any closer." Leonardo growled.

"You little brats! I shall…!"

Michelangelo then noticed enough had been done on the board to distract the headmaster from his siblings and Donatello! "LOOK!" He pointed to the board.

Other students had finally noticed the floating chalk piece as well. Miwa looked to Donatello, who was looking at the board with a determined look. Leonardo and the others were just looking at the board as it started to write. The blinds started to flutter open and close as words formed on the board. Oroku stared at it with horror.

"O… Oroku," The children started to chorus as though their lives depended on it, even the elder Hamato children. Yoshi just stepped back and glanced at Donatello, sure that this was his work and that he had gotten the information he needed from Michelangelo. "This is Teng Shen. Give my Artistic Ninja, my little artists, and my piece of Harmony their house back, and their money! Then get out of town, if you don't I will get you! I will get you like you got me! That is a promise!" The chalk then underlined the word promise, and much to everyone's surprise, including Donatello's, the chalk was set on fire for a brief moment before the erasers started to attack the headmaster. Donatello and the others stepped away from the attacking erasers as they only went after the metal man, covering him with chalk dust as he screamed like a girl, telling them to back away.

The children were laughing, as was Hamato Yoshi as the giant tin man fell to the ground. Donatello then looked to the blinds, willing them to rise up so they could get more light in the room. No one knew what to do.

Finally, Raphael slowly walked forward, ever the one for danger, with Donatello and Leonardo right behind him. As they got closer to the sleeping metal giant, they were unaware of one of his eyes opening! Suddenly, the Shredder turned over and grabbed Raphael, lifting him above his head! "WHAA!" Raphael was startled and a bit scared.

"No, no, Oroku, please, do not throw him!" Yoshi was worried as Oroku made to throw his second son out the window like a javelin! Donatello was already on it though, he opened the window just before the boy could smash through it, and hoped that Michelangelo was right about Teng Shen wanting to help. He had never lifted a human before!

As Raphael flew through the air, screaming in fear, he felt something grab him and keep him in air. "Time to play Airplane, Raphael." A soft voice whispered in his ears. Donatello felt like he didn't need to control Raphael's flight now and relaxed his powers while Teng Shen took over. Raphael flew around and even did a few loop-de-loops in midair, no longer screaming, but laughing like a child again, knowing that his mother was there to guide him, and wouldn't let him fall. "Time to put your powers to good use, my son." Raphael nodded as he felt himself be thrown back into an unfamiliar power's clutches and rushed towards the Shredder, abandoning the pose of Peter Pan for that of Superman with his fists forward to hit the Shredder. He concentrated on all his anger for the metal man and he came in like a rocket! The Shredder noticed him coming back and tried to flee, only to be knocked onto the classroom's globe!

The children were laughing, including Raphael, who had a bit of a rough landing. "Hehe, I wanna do that again!" Raphael laughed as he stood up and brushed himself off. Leonardo and Miwa ran over to him to check if he was fine. In the meantime, Master Splinter did a little turning signal to Donatello, suggesting an idea, since the evil headmaster was on the globe.

Donatello smiled and nodded as his powers turned the globe around and around, faster and faster! Eventually, the Shredder was thrown off, and like a dazed bull, stumbled towards the students until eventually one was cornered off from the rest of them; Michelangelo!

"MIKEY!" Miwa and Leonardo called out to their youngest brother in fear as the Shredder charged towards him!

"Mikey, get out of there!" Raphael shouted in fear.

"Time to play astronauts, Michelangelo. Hands up now." A gentle voice whispered as Michelangelo saw his mother standing next to his father. Michelangelo obeyed the voice and he jumped with his hands in the air. Donatello used his own powers to make sure the boy was raised high enough to grab onto a pipe that was hanging above him. The Shredder crashed into the door, breaking it to pieces and falling down on the floor of the school's hallway. "Good job, my son." Teng Shen smiled while Michelangelo laughed. The children all gathered to look at him still hanging on. Donatello then had another idea and mentally pulled out the lunch boxes, making sure to throw some of the food at the headmaster to get the idea started.

As the Shredder started to get up from the ground, other students from other classes had started to gather in the hall to figure out what was going on. "It's the Shredder!" Casey Jones said as he peeked out of his room. Then they saw the little kids room was pelting him with their food from their lunches!

"Wow!" Leatherhead smiled as he ran back into his own room to spread the word.

"Hey you guys, get a load o' this!" Casey called as he reentered his room and grabbed his own bagged lunch!

The children were fighting back! They were taking down the Shredder with their food! Master Splinter's class all ran out, save for the Hamatos and Donatello. Yoshi was still looking up at Michelangelo, worried because he was not tall enough to bring the boy down. Klunk sat silently, watching his boy from his hiding place in the cubbies.

Donatello looked at his friend and nodded. "You can let go now." Michelangelo nodded as he felt his mother grab his waist to help Donatello's powers lower him down.

"So cool!" Michelangelo smiled as he looked up at his mother, and then to his father and best friend. "I didn't know I could jump that high!"

Donatello laughed. "Pretty neat trick, huh?" Then he looked at Miwa. "Thanks for the save, Miwa."

"Hey, what are friends for, Donnie." Miwa smiled. Yoshi looked from his sons and their friend, to his daughter with a soft smile. Miwa ran up and hugged him, glad to find he was alright, and that the Shredder had lied. "I missed you guys."

"Yeah, yeah, we missed you too." Raphael smirked while rolling his eyes. The other Hamatos looked at him and found him holding some lunch boxes. "We gonna get in on this, or we gonna let the others have all the fun?"

Michelangelo grabbed his lunch box. "To victory!" He shouted as he fist pumped and then ran off after the rest of his class.

The older children shrugged and then followed, "To victory!" They chorused as they ran out to pelt the Shredder with food as well.

Yoshi stayed in the room a little longer though. "Miwa is returned to us, and the Shredder will likely flee in their wake. This is truly an amazing day."

"Indeed, my husband." Yoshi turned towards the ghost of his wife with a sad smile on both their faces. "Take care of our children. I'll be watching." With that, she faded, and Yoshi simply nodded as a tear fell from his face. His wife was still watching over them.

Out in the hallway, the Shredder was trying to flee under the barrage of every student in Ninjitsu Hall! Stray weapons here and there had knocked off his helmet. There was food, water balloons, toilet paper, even Leatherhead had managed to shove a giant piece of chocolate cake into his mouth as she passed, a true victory and revenge for what he had done to him. The Shredder was chased all the way to his beaten up car with students and teachers alike helping in the assault! The Shredder then fled, never to darken another doorstep or be seen or heard from again! Donatello thought his day couldn't get better… till April O'Neil decided to kiss him on the cheek that is.

 ** _*-Otouto was the honorific I was told to mean little brother, if it is incorrect, I do apologize. This means my teacher needs to check again :P Sorry for taking so long to post. Have fun with the ending coming up next!_**


	30. Chapter 30

The following days after, went by quickly. Oroku Saki vanished and the Hamato family moved back into their old home. Of course, Donatello was a frequent visitor.

One of these days, Donatello was talking to his friends about something that he had learned in a book. "Did you know that a mouse's heartrate is 650 a minute? It beats so fast it sounds like a hum!"

"Whoa, where'd ya learn that?" Michelangelo smiled. He was always being impressed by his best friend's knowledge. Though Donatello had been moved into the higher level classes with Leonardo and Miwa, he still took sparring practice with Michelangelo and the other first years, just to be safe.

"From a book. I can show you where in the library someday if you'd like."

"Sweet!"

Donatello then frowned as he heard the familiar engine of his father's car. "Great…"

"What, they don't trust us to walk you home?" Leonardo asked as he set Captain Ryan down next to his own books.

"No, I think this is the part where they want to run away because the cops finally caught onto them." Donatello muttered.

"How can ya be sure?" Raphael asked as he turned away from Spike.

"They never come to get me."

"True…"

The car door opened, and Zinnia, as Donatello predicted, was in a rush. "Hey, you! Hey, we're leaving, come on, let's go!" She grabbed Donatello's wrist and started pulling as her other hand grabbed his backpack. "Come on, we're leaving, now."

"We'd be happy to walk him home." Yoshi tried to reason, hoping to not rush the boy's departure.

"Well nobody will be there, we're moving to Guam." Zinnia sneered as she started to drag the boy.

"Isn't that a far off island?" Miwa asked with fear. 'He's not even theirs! I know he's not! He's…'

"Yeah." Then Zinnia turned to Donatello. "Daddy's not gonna be in the oil business anymore." The sound of sirens getting closer.

"I don't want to leave." Donatello said as he freed himself from Zinnia's grasp.

"But we're going on a permanent vacation!" Zinnia tried to play it off as nothing bad.

"Yeah, and we gotta beat the speedboats salesmen to the airport!" Harry said as he left the car.

Donatello looked up to the sky, praying for patience and reasoning. 'I told them they were cops, but no one listens to me!' Donatello then turned to Zinnia. "I love it here, I love my school, my friends, it isn't fair! Master Splinter, please don't let them take me away!" He pleaded desperately for the first time in his life.

Splinter and the others didn't like how the boy was being treated, but they were unsure of what to do! Harry grabbed one arm while Zinnia grabbed the other, both dragging the boy towards the car. "Get in the car, Domino."

"Donatello!" The boy corrected with a scowl.

"Whatever."

"I want to stay with Master Yoshi and my friends!"

"Well Mister Yoshi doesn't want you!" Zinnia snapped at him. "Why would he want a whiny disobedient boy when he has four other mouths to feed already?"

"Because he's a spectacular young boy and we love him here." Yoshi said with conviction. His sons all nodded and agreed while Miwa had a hold on Donatello's bo staff, ready to throw it to the boy, should the need arise.

Donatello then looked to the adults trying to take him away. "You guys don't have any papers for me anyway!" They looked at the boy with surprise. When had he found this out? "Hamato Yoshi can claim me, and you guys could leave me here with no consequence!"

"I'll be an only child again!" Michael called from the car.

Harry shook his head. "Shut up, I can't think with all these sirens!" Then he looked to his wife. "What do you think?"

Zinnia looked at the boy. "To be honest, Donatello, I actually did kinda like you around… but I never understood you, not one little bit." She whipped out a piece of paper and a picture. "This is the name of the guy who gave us to you, the date, and the picture of him. Find yourself a real home." The two made their way over to car, leaving Donatello with the paper and picture in hand, and a very stunned expression. This was perhaps the first and only decent thing they did for Donatello, leaving him with all the clues he needed to find out who he was. "Ciao!" Zinnia called as they left the purple clad boy with his friends and their father. Donatello waved goodbye to them with a happy smile on his face for the first time ever in front of them.

Zinnia and Harry got away, and as bad as things had been, that's how good they became. Donatello and the Hamatos looked on the paper and found that the Shredder had been the one to sell him to the Wormwood family. Yoshi compared the dates, and discovered, much to everyone's surprise, that the young boy was indeed the long lost Hamato brother who had been gone for years. Donatello was overjoyed to find that he was Hamato Donatello and was related to his best friends. He could now have that sibling bond he always wanted with his actual siblings.

Master Splinter became the new head of the Foot clan, and headmaster of Ninjitsu Hall, which had to add an upper class school and college because no one wanted to leave! Donatello found, much to his great surprise, that life could be fun, and he decided to have as much of it as possible. After all, he was a very smart kid. The happiest part of the story is that Donatello and the rest of the Hamato family got what they had always wanted; a loving family. And the Hamato children never had to use their powers again… not unless they wanted to that is.

Donatello smiled as he used his powers to pull out his favorite book to read to his little brother. Michelangelo was sitting next to his mother's ghost with a smile on both their faces as they listened to him read "Moby Dick". They couldn't ask for more…

"What, no pictures?"

 ** _The End_**


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